Competition indices of common vetch and cereal intercrops in two seeding ratio

A 2-year field study was conducted using common vetch (Vicia sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), triticale (xTriticosecale Wittmack), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and oat (Avena sativa L.) pure stands as well as two common vetch–cereal mixtures for silage with each of the above four cereals in two seeding ratios (i.e., vetch:cereal 55:45 and 65:35, based on seed numbers) to determine the competition among the different species and the economics of each intercropping system. Intercropping systems were assessed on the basis of several existing intercropping indices such as land equivalent ratio (LER), relative crowding coefficient (RCC or K), aggressivity (A), competitive ratio (CR), actual yield loss (AYL), monetary advantage index (MAI), and intercropping advantage (IA). The LER and K values were greater for the common vetch–wheat (55:45) and the common vetch–oat (65:35) mixtures indicating that in these systems, there was an advantage of intercropping for exploiting the resources of the environment. A similar trend to that of LER and K was also observed for AYL. The aggressivity, CR and partial AYL values were greater for barley and oat than for wheat and triticale, whereas the corresponding values for common vetch were lower in mixtures with barley and oat than in mixtures with wheat and triticale. These findings indicate that barley and oat were more competitive partners than wheat and triticale as common vetch was affected more in mixtures with these two crops. The highest MAI and IA values were recorded for the common vetch–wheat (55:45) and the common vetch–oat (65:35) mixtures indicating that these intercropping systems were the most profitable.