Cereal-Legume Mixtures for Annual Forage Crop under Mediterranean Conditions

The resilience towards climate change and the economic and environmental sustainability of Mediterranean farming systems might be enhanced by the introduction of multispecies mixtures (Finn et al., 2013). The use of cereal-legume mixtures is traditionally considered a good agronomical practice if compared to monocultures. Nonetheless, it requires some innovation to increase yield efficiency. The present study aimed at assessing new elite lines and varieties of legumes in monoculture and in mixture with winter cereals for hay production. Moreover, a participatory approach involving farmers was chosen to better evaluate crops and meet farmers' requirements.