investigation of adaptation and determination of some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of three annual rangeland medics as affected by seed rate and seed pod under dryland conditions

cultivation of annual medics is a way to increase producing of forage with a better quality, to increase the quantity of producing forage in low yield drylands, and to assisst establishing pasture. this study was conducted in order to investigate the adaptation and determination of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of three species of annual medics. the experimnet was conducted in a split split plot under a complete randomized block design in the faculty of agriculture, shiraz, in 2010-11. the treatments involved cultivation with and without pod as the main factor, the density of 30, 60 and 90 plants per square meter, as secondary factor and species of medicago (medicago polymorpha l.,m. rigidula l. and m. scutellata ( as a sub secondary factor. results showed that the seed with pod had higher yelid which probably because of suitable moisture conservation. on the other hand, the seed pod led to stability and natural establishment of seed in the unsuitable environment. the optimal density was 90 plants per square meter. this density showed more yeild. in general, m. rigidula had more adaptation and more quantitative and qualitative performance.