The Growth and Yield of Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) Intercropped with Several Green Manure Crops

A field experiment was conducted to study the productivity of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) intercropped with green manure crops to diversify the cropping system. Linseed was grown solely (control) or and in combination with crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.), red clover (Trifolium pretense L.), wild oats (Avena strigosa Schreb.), or white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) in early (March 4) and late (March 18) seeding in 2014. All seeds were drill sown with a row distance of 20 cm with mixed crops in alternating rows. The growth, yield, and yield components of linseed grown solely, with crimson clover, or with red clover did not differ from each other, except that the linseed plants grown with a leguminous plant had less tillers and fruiting branches in early seeding. The seed yield of linseed grown with wild oats or white mustard was smaller than that in other plots, because of the smaller number of capsules per unit area, smaller number of seeds per capsule, and lower average seed weight. Mixed cropping of linseed with crimson clover or red clover may be a promising system that enables both linseed production and organic matter and nitrogen supply into soil.