Intensifying Grain and Fodder Production in Tibet by Using Cereal‐Forage Intercrops

In the river valleys of central Tibet, farming households are active in both crop and livestock production. The emphasis is mostly placed on optimizing grain production for subsistence purposes, with little emphasis on forage production to meet livestock diets. Temperatures and rainfall favor crop growth from April to October and, with crops harvested in July or August, sufficient moisture, heat, and light resources remain unused after forage harvest. Here we report data from crop‐forage intercrop experiments that evaluated the role of using vetch ( Vicia sativa L.) and lucerne ( Medicago sativa L.) established by either broadcast or seeding in inter‐row spaces of cereal crops. Broadcasting vetch in early July into maturing winter sown wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) allows useful amounts of vetch forage (3 Mg ha −1 ) produced for little extra work with minimal grain yield penalty. The approach of sowing vetch in the inter‐row space of widely spaced winter wheat or barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) was a reliable way of establishing this forage crop. However, grain yield losses ( P ≤ 0.05) of approximately 16, 22, and 37% were associated with the wider row spacing (66, 50, and 33% wheat) when vetch was grown in the inter‐row space. Based on land equivalent ratios (LERs) alone, the 33% cereal density was most productive ( P ≤ 0.05). However, improved understanding of forage, dairy products, and grain markets, and of the household economy on typical Tibetan farms, will be required before judgments can be made about whether farmers can profit from such intercropping approaches.