Cereal-legume mixtures: forage quality and digestibility under Mediterranean conditions

Forage quality was assessed for pea and vetch-based mixtures with triticale and oat in a Mediterranean environment during years 2014 and 2015. Eight binary and two four-component mixtures were analysed and their dry matter, crude protein, fibres, digestibility and ash content determined. Mixtures showed a higher variability in fiber content and digestibility in 2014 than in 2015. The binary mixtures based on common vetch showed a higher protein content respect to the other mixtures in both years of cultivation. Pea mixtures showed an intermediate protein content between common vetch-based and Narbon vetch-based mixtures. NDF values allowed to classify all mixtures as good (NDF<50%). ADF contents in all mixtures were excellent, especially in 2014 when all mixtures showed ADF rates under 31%. DDM was quite good in all mixtures ranging from 59.7 to 67.8%. Triticale showed a marked positive effect on the forage quality of binary mixtures regardless of the companion legume, improving CP and DDM and reducing fiber contents. These preliminary results allowed to identify some winter cereal-legume mixtures with high forage quality.