INTERCROPPING SYSTEMS’ PRODUCTIVITY OF BRACHIARIA DECUMBENS WITH STYLOSANTHES HAMATA AND STYLOSANTHES GUIANENSIS IN DIFFERENT PLANTING RATIOS

A field experiment was conducted during the wet and dry season of 2011 to 2012 at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta located in the Derived savanna agro-ecological zone of Southwest, Nigeria. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the contribution of Stylosanthes hamata cv. Verano and Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Schofield to total fodder yields, nutritive value and reduction of enteric methane gas when intercropped with Brachiaria decumbens . Nine treatments in all consisting of soles of a grass, legumes and grass-legume mixtures in the ratios 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 for each legume species.  The Relative yield (RY),Land Equivalent Ratio (LER), total dry matter yield, proximate composition, in vitro gas production and methane gas production were estimated at both seasons. S. guianensis gave a higher significant (P<0.05) relative yield when intercropped in double or triple rows with B. decumbens in both seasons. Planting triple rows of S. guianensis with a single row of B. decumbens produced the highest significant (P<0.05) total DM yield of 4.17 t/ha. The volume of gas produced after 24 hours increased significantly (P<0.5) as the rows of legumes increased in the mixtures. In both seasons, the volume of methane gas produced in the sole grass was higher (P<0.05) than in the mix swards. In all the six (6) mixtures ratios evaluated, intercropping of up to three (3) rows of S. guianensis within a row B. decumbens produced outstanding results in terms of biomass, quality and environmental impact in relation to enteric methane production.