Effect of Intercropping and Compost Application on Yield and Yield Components of Common Bean in North Shewa, Central Ethiopia

Abstract

Common bean is grown for its high nutritive, medicinal and market value in Ethiopia. Lack of soil nutrients and moisture are production constraints in central common bean producing regions of Ethiopia. Field experiments were conducted on two common bean varieties Awash Melka and Mexican 142 at Shewarobit and Ataye in 2016 and 2017 main cropping seasons with the objective of evaluating the effects of intercropping, compost application and their integration on yield and yield components of common bean. The four management options used were compost application, intercropping, their integration and a control. The results of the study revealed that there was a decreasing trend in yield and yield components from the integrated cultural management practices to the separately applied and sole planting of common bean. Row intercropping with compost application increased the mean number of pods per plant by 41.1% compared to sole planting at Ataye in 2016 cropping season. At Ataye, the number of seeds per pod in Mexican 142 variety was higher by 18.1% and 31.3% in 2016 and 2017 respectively than Awash Melka variety. Row intercropping with compost application increased the mean 100-seed weight from 15.2 to 16.2% in both locations and both cropping seasons compared to sole planting. Compost application increased the average yield of common bean from 10.1% to 25.8% in both locations and both cropping seasons compared to sole planting. Relatively lower yield was obtained from intercropping plots than sole plots at both locations and in both seasons. The integration of intercropping with compost application had the highest LER (2.2) at Ataye in 2017 cropping season while the lowest LER (1.52) was found in the row intercropping at Ataye in the same cropping season. The results obtained from this study indicated the cultural management practices were responsible for increment of yield and yield components of common bean in central Ethiopia and in areas with similar agro-ecological conditions.