Annual Legume‐Grass Mixtures for Forage and Seed¹

Mixtures of soybeans ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and annual grasses were compared with soybeans for forage production. Soybeans‐foxtail millet ( Setaria italica (L.) Beauv.) was the best mixture and exceeded soybeans in forage yield, dry matter percentage, weed control, and lodging resistance. The mixture equalled soybeans in protein yield but was lower in protein percentage. Oat ( Avena sativa L.)‐legume mixtures, legume mixtures, and legume‐ Brossica mixtures were compared with oats alone for forage and seed production. Oat‐legume mixtures were superior to pure oats in protein yields and concentrations but did not produce greater forage or seed yields. Oat‐horsebean ( Vicia faba L. equina Pers.) mixture is an alternative to oats‐peas ( Pisum sativum L.) for fertile soils where oats‐peas lodge badly. Alternate rows of soybeans and millet produced forage of higher protein percentage but lower forage yield than did drilling soybeans and then broadcasting or drilling millet. For oat‐horsebean mixture, alternate rows were less satisfactory than mixed drilling.