Proportions and harvest times on forage production and chemical composition of the barley-vetch (Hordeum vulgare-Vicia sativa) association

Cordero F.A.; Chavez R.A.J.; Zaravia Y.E.; Arana C.W.; Anccasi Q.E.R.; Contreras P.J.L. · Revista de Investigaciones Veterinarias del Peru (2026) · DOI: 10.15381/rivep.v37i1.32894

Resumen

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of four barley/vetch proportions (0/100, 35/65, 45/55, and 100/0) and three harvest times (120, 140, and 160 days) on forage production and the chemical composition of the barley/vetch mixture. The study was conducted in an area of the Quiralquichqui community, Huancavelica, Peru, between December 2020 and April 2023. A 4 x 3 factorial arrangement (proportions, harvest times) was used in a completely randomized design with four replicates. The production of green matter (GM), dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), and mineral matter (MM) was determined. DM yield was influenced by the barley/vetch ratio at each cutting time, with a maximum estimated at 42.6 t/ha at a 61.7/38.3 barley/vetch ratio at 140 days cut days. A 35/65 barley/vetch ratio at 140 and 160 days yielded 11.4 and 9.3 t/ha DM, respectively. DM concentrations increased non-linearly at each harvest time level as a function of the barley/vetch ratios, with maximum DM concentrations estimated at 23.5, 27.5, and 28.1% at barley/vetch ratios of 77.3/22.7, 67.7/32.3, and 75/25, respectively. For the treatments consisting of harvest times with barley/vetch ratios of 35/65 and 45/55, protein concentrations ranged from 10.4 to 11.5% and from 8.1 to 11.2%, respectively. At harvest times of 140 and 160 days, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) increased linearly as the barley/vetch ratio increased. MM was influenced quadratically by the proportions, with the minimum MM estimated at 5.3% at the 82.5/17.5 barley/vetch ratio. The 35/65 and 45/55 barley/vetch proportions altered forage yield and the chemical composition of the forages. © Los autores. Este artículo es publicado por la Rev Inv Vet Perú de la Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Huancavelica