Cutting and drought effects on productivity of legume – grass mixture

Cultivation of grass – legume mixtures is a usual management practice used in order to improve the quantity and quality of production. However, the results of several published reports related with the yield are conflicting. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cutting on the productivity of the perennial legume and grass mixtures with and without irrigation. The experiment was established in Drama, Macedonia in northern Greece. Measurements were carried out during the spring and summer periods of the years 1996 and 1997. Two levels of irrigation and three levels of cuttings were enployed. Above ground dry biomass was measured in a pure crop of Medicago sativa, Festuca arundinacea and their 1:1 mixture as well. The Relative Production Index was calculated. Results have shown that: a) the two years total production of the mixture was higher than the production of pure Festuca, especially without irrigation, b) it did not differ from the production of the pure crop of Medicago, when cuttings were not applied, with and without irrigation, c) pure cultivation of Medicago was better cutting resistant than pure Festuca and mixture, and d) no irrigation reduced production in all treatments, but reduction was lower in the cut mixture.