Effect of Intercropping of Legumes and Rates of Nitrogen Fertilizer on Yield and Yield Components of Maize (&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Zea mays&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; L.) at Arba Minch

Ewnetie Takele,Arega Abebe,Zenebe Mekonnen,Dereje Tsegaye

doi:10.4236/ajps.2017.89145

Abstract

Intercropping of legumes and cereals, an old practice since ancient civilization, plays pivotal role to increase land use efficiency, improve income and food production per unit area and minimize the risks of crop failure for small scale farmers. Thus, field experiment was conducted to determine the effect of intercropping of legumes and rates of nitrogen fertilizer on yield and yield components of maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment consisted of 0, 23, 46, 69 and 92 kg·N·ha-1 and sole maize, maize + commom bean, maize + common bean - mung bean cropping systems with Random Complete Block Design factorial experiment in three replications using maize variety, “BH-140”, common bean variety (Hawassadume) and mung bean variety. Maximum plant heights, dry matter and grain yield, were observed from sole cropped maize and maize + common bean, when applying 92 kg·N·ha-1. Significantly higher total Land Equivalent Ratio of 2.2, Gross Monetary Value of 87,191 birr ha-1, Monetary Advantage of 47,068.2 Birr ha-1, total productivity (80,568.49 birr) and net return (55,214.0 birr) were recorded from maize + common bean - mung bean. The, maximum marginal rate of return was obtained from maize + common bean - mung bean and applying 69 kg·N·ha-1 (1080%). Thus, farmers should be advised to practice cropping of maize + common bean - mung with 69 kg·N·ha-1 to get economical maize production.

Highlights

Agriculture is a fundamental instrument for poverty reduction, food security, and economic growth
The result of this study showed that days to maturity, teaseling, silking and kernel number were significantly affected by the main effects of nitrogen rate at 92 kg∙ha−1
Dry mater and plant height were significantly affected by both the main effects of cropping system and rate of nitrogen fertilizer

Summary

Introduction

Agriculture is a fundamental instrument for poverty reduction, food security, and economic growth. Almost 80% of the Ethiopia’s populations living in rural areas were directly or indirectly linked to agriculture for their livelihood [1]. In Sub-Saharan countries, like Ethiopia, where the smallscale farming dominates the overall national economy, agricultural production and productivity were still getting very poor. World population is exponentially growing indicating the need for an attractive strategy for increasing productivity to fulfill their food requirements such as intercropping. Intercropping is a practice of advanced agro technique of cultivating two or more crops in the same space at the same time for decades where the goals of agriculture have been achieved

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