Determination of suitable forage crop species and their mixtures for meadow establishment

This three-year study was conducted in order to determine suitable legume and grass species and their mixtures for meadow establishment under irrigated conditions of Erzurum. In the study, legumes species of alfalfa and red clover and grass species of timothy, red fescue, perennial ryegrass, meadow fescue, kentucky bluegrass and bromegrass, and their binary mixtures were compared. As an average mixtures gave higher hay and crude protein yields and higher mixture efficiency (land equivalent ratio) than pure stands. The percentage of legumes in hay was 66.7% in mixtures. Crude protein content was the highest in pure legume stands and the lowest in pure grass stands. Mixtures of alfalfa + red clover + meadow fescue produced the highest yields.