One of the major challenges in semi-arid regions of Iran is to supply the adequate forage for livestock and meanwhile prevent the destruction of rangelands due to overgrazing. Therefore, this study aimed to compare three cropping systems of barley using Salsola turcomanica (ST), and Chrysopogon zizanioides (CZ) in three treatments of barley+ST, barley+ST+CZ and mono-culture of barley. Two-year field trials data were collected from November 2018 to October 2020 in two experimental sites using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. The results of analysis of variance over two years indicated that the effects of year, location, and year by location interaction were significant (p<0.01) for all of barley’s yield components. Mixed cropping of barley with other species had no negative effect on barley traits such as grain yield, straw yield and harvest index. In addition, the mixed cropping of barley+ST and barley+ST+CZ in the first year produced 2.5 t/ha more forage yield than that mono-culture of barley. This was due to high production of Salsola (ST), in mixed cropping. In both years, yield of Salsola production was about 25% of whole produced biomass. Drastic reduction in rainfall in the second year reduced the obtained yield; so, there was no significant difference among three cropping systems in the second year. However, cropping systems of barley+ST and barley+ST+CZ produced about 1 t/ha more forage than that for the mono-culture of barley. Mixed cropping of barley +ST+CZ did not affect yield components of barley. Mixed cropping of barley with Salsola turcomanica could guarantee soil cover throughout the year and is recommended for forage production in rangeland in Iran. Manuscript profile

In rangeland management, the ecological needs and response of plants to the environment is studied by investigating the relationship among measurements of plants and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between plant density, vegetation cover and biomass of Salsola turcomanica with the soil physico-chemical properties. For this purpose, in three areas (area with high, medium and low coverage of S.turcomanica), three transects of 100 m length were located at a distance of 100 m from each other. In each transect, 10 plots (2m2) were systematically established. Then vegetation cover and the density of individual plants were recorded. Biomass was estimated via cutting and weighing method. Soil samples were systematically taken from center of each plot at the depth of 0-20cm. Some soil physical and chemical properties such as soil texture, bulk density, pH, EC, organic carbon, Absorbable P, exchangeable K and Na were measured. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and mean comparisons were made using the Tukey test. The relationships among plant measurements and soil properties were investigated using multiple regression analysis. The results demonstrated that soil acidity had the most influence on the vegetation cover of S.turcomanica, likewise soil acidity and soil exchangeable sodium content had the most influence on its biomass. Among the exchangeable cations, Ca had the highest value and Na had the lowest one. This plant grows in saline and alkaline soils with low organic matter. Considering its long growth period and adaptation of this species to harsh environmental conditions, its use in rangeland improvement operations is recommended. Manuscript profile