The aim of the three-year study was to determine the impact of intercropping spring wheat with grain legumes on yield performance and stability, nitrogen use, weed control and grain quality. The experiment was carried out during 2007-2009 on a loamy Endocalcari-Epihypogleyic Cambisol ( CMg-p-w-can) in Dotnuva (55degrees24?N). Grain legumes: field pea ( Pisum sativum L.), lupin ( Lupinus angustifolius L.), bean ( Vicia faba L.), vetch ( Vicia sativa L.) and spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) were sown as intercrops and sole crops and were grown organically for grain. The productivity of spring wheat sole crop or intercrops depended on the species of grain legume, however, the results varied over the experimental years. In 2007, the vetch and wheat intercrop produced a significantly higher grain yield than wheat in sole crop or in the other intercrops. In 2008, no advantages of legume and wheat intercrops were revealed. In 2009, the yield of sole legume crops was lower compared with the total wheat and legume intercrops. The concentration of crude protein was higher in grain yield, when spring wheat had been grown in intercrops. Vetch exhibited the best suppressing ability on weeds compared to all other grain legumes investigated. The total weed mass in spring wheat intercrops with grain legume was lower compared to that in the sole crops.
