Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D Student, Department of Agricultural Science and Engineering, SR. C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant professor of Crop and Horticultural Science Research Departmen, Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center,AREO, Khorramabad, Iran.

3 Associate professor, Department of Agricultural Science and Engineering, SR. C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

4 professor, Department of Agronomy, Ka. C., Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran.

10.22059/jci.2025.397326.2939

Abstract

Objective: In recent years, the use of conservation tillage methods has been widely considered in the world, and the use of conventional tillage methods has become outdate in some parts of the world. Conservation tillage systems are usually implemented in arid and semi-arid regions. In semi-arid regions, the key to increasing agricultural production is to maximize surface water infiltration. In addition, techniques that reduce evaporation from the soil and increase the amount of water available to plants during drought are very important. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 to evaluate the effect of tillage systems on the quantitative and qualitative yield of forage and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in forage legumes. An experiment was conducted in the research farm of the Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center Khorramabad city, in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.

Methods This experiment was conducted in a split plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Tillage methods (conventional, low-tillage, and no-tillage) were considered as the main factor and forage legumes (Broujerd landrace faba bean, Lamei cultivar vetch, Grass pea, Barakat and Feyz cultivar faba bean) were considered as secondary factors.

Results The results showed that the interaction effect of tillage system and forage legumes was significant on all measured traits except for quality parameters including digestible dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, ash, water soluble carbohydrates and neutral detergent insoluble fiber was significant at the 1% level of error probability. The highest fresh forage yield (10671.52 and 10581.11 kg h-1), leaf dry weight (16.86 and 16.82 gr) and stem (20.46 and 20.42 gr) in conventional and reduced tillage systems were observed in the Lamei variety of vetch, while the dry forage yield (2820.91 and 2352.82 kg h-1) in conventional tillage systems was observed in the Lamei variety of vetch and the Barakat variety broad bean, and the catalase enzyme (54.09 OD micro gr protein min-1) in the conventional tillage systems was observed in the Lamei variety of vetch. A review of the changes in qualitative traits among forage legumes also showed that the highest digestible dry matter, ash, and crude protein were obtained from Lamei variety of vetch, and the highest water soluble carbohydrates, crude fiber and insoluble fiber were obtained from Barakat variety and Borujerd landrace broad bean.

Conclusion: According to the results, implementing a conventional and low-tillage system compared to a no-tillage system and planting the forage legume, the Laami variety of vetch, had a more beneficial effect on increasing yield characteristics, antioxidant enzyme activity, and forage quality traits.

Keywords