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Addition Series Approach to Assessing Competition in a Small Grain‐Alfalfa Companion Crop Community
Author(s) -
Nickel S. E.,
Simmons S. R.,
Sheaffer C. C.,
Radosevich S. R.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1990.0011183x003000050037x
Subject(s) - biology , agronomy , competition (biology) , hordeum vulgare , interspecific competition , loam , medicago sativa , crop , forage , intraspecific competition , avena , poaceae , botany , soil water , ecology
Assessment of competitive interactions within plant communities is a goal for many crop ecologists and agronomists. In the addition series approach, multivariate response models quantify intraspecific and interspecific competition in plant communities. Our objective was to test this approach in a small grain‐alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) companion intercrop, a common forage‐establishment system in North America. Experiments were conducted on a Waukegan silt loam soil, with two oat ( Avena sativa L.) and two barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes as companion crops for alfalfa establishment. Alfalfa and small‐grain herbage was harvested at boot and soft‐dough stages of small‐grain development. Multiple regression of log dry mass per plant against plant densities indicated a large competitive influence of the small grain on itself and on the alfalfa. Competition from alfalfa was negligible. Oat plants were less competitive than barley, and dwarf‐statured genotypes were less competitive than conventional genotypes. The addition series is well suited to research applications involving agronomic systems.