Determination of Effective Spatial Arrangement for Intercropping of Maize (Zea mays L.) and Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Using Competition Indices Ethiopia

Yayeh Bitew Bantie

doi:10.4172/2376-0354.1000137

Abstract

An experiment was conducted on the determination of effective spatial arrangement for intercropping of maize and potato using competition indices at South Wollo, Ethiopia for two consecutive years, 2010-2011. The objective of the study was to determine effective spatial arrangement for intercropping of maize and potato. The treatments were 1 maize:1 potato, 2 maize:2 potato, 1 maize:2 potato (a), 2 maize:1 potato (a), 1 maize:2 potato (b) and 2 maize:1 potato (b). Sole maize and sole potato was used for comparison. JMP 5 (SAS) software’s were used to compute the analysis of variance. The combined yield advantages in terms of total land equivalent ratio (LER) and Income equivalent ratio (IER) indices were greatest in the cases of 1 maize:1 potato followed by 1 maize:2 potato (b) intercropping arrangement. Area time equivalent ratio (ATER) values showed an advantage of 75.0% only in 1 maize:1 potato. Effective Monetary advantage (EMAI) index was highest in 1 maize:2 potato (b)followed by 1 maize: 1 potato intercropping arraignments. However, Competitive ratio (CR) values for all crops in all intercropping arrangements were less than one indicating both crops are equally competitive. Based on the this findings, 1 maize: 1 potato followed by 1 maize:2 potato (b) intercropping arrangement gave the highest PRY, LER,ATER, IER and EMAI; and lowest CR value and in turn achieve higher productivity rates of the two crops, which lead to favorably recommend the use and utilization of this system in south wollo. It is recommended that this project was conducted for two years, there was lack of budget and hence this research should be repeated in different agro ecology and spatial arrangement.

Highlights

Nowadays food problem is one of the most important problems in the world, attributed to the drastically growing numbers of population, limited cultivation areas and occurrence of diseases, insect pest etc. due to climate change [1]
Maize productivity The present study indicated that intercropping in different spatial arrangement significantly affect grain yield of maize (P
The combined yield advantages in terms of total land equivalent ratio (LER) and Income equivalent ratio (IER) indices were greatest in the cases of 1 maize:1 potato followed by 1 maize:2 potato (b) intercropping arrangement

Summary

Introduction

Nowadays food problem is one of the most important problems in the world, attributed to the drastically growing numbers of population, limited cultivation areas and occurrence of diseases, insect pest etc. due to climate change [1]. The economy is based on crop production (sorghum, Teff and maize) and livestock rearing. This implying the immense need for more extensive research in order to accommodate the problem. Agriculture is the key to solve famine problem, a lot of researches conducted in Ethiopia expressed the possibility of increasing the yield by many means and cultivation innovative techniques, which is not limited to the use disease resistance plants, finding a new cultivars with a good quantity and quality, or in utilizing the utmost of existing resources in countries [2]. Crop productivity in intercropping system depends on many factors including variety used, plant density, planting arrangement, cropping seasons and agricultural practices like irrigation, fertilization etc. Ofori et al [5] indicated that intercropping system causes a decrease of yield due to the problems of harmful grasses, pests and diseases, in addition to the difficulties of harvesting

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion