Productive and Economic Analysis of Silage Maize and Alfalfa Intercropping

Abstract

Intercropping of maize (Zea mays L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is not a commonpractice because alfalfa generally reduces maize grain and biomass yield. The objective of thisresearch was to evaluate the productivity and profitability of maize-alfalfa intercropping. Theexperiment was conducted in Fargo and Prosper, ND, from 2014 to 2017. The design was arandomized complete block design with four replicates and a split-plot arrangement. Treatmentswere: 1) maize monoculture, 2) maize intercropped with alfalfa, 3) maize intercropped withalfalfa + prohexadione, and 4) spring-seeded alfalfa (in 2015). Alfalfa established inintercropping with maize had almost double the forage yield in the following year compared withspring-seeded alfalfa, and had higher net returns than silage-maize followed by spring-seededalfalfa the following year. This system has the potential to get more growers to have alfalfa inthe rotation by skipping the typical low yielding alfalfa in establishment year.