Abstract
Cereal-legume intercropping practices improve the sustainability of production and productivity. However, identification of suitable crop and plant density of the component crops is essential. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the varietal effects of soybean intercropped with maize and the effect of plant densities of soybean varieties intercropped with maize on yield and yield components of associated crops and the productivity of the system at Wama-Hagelo District, western Ethiopia during 2019. Maize variety ‘P1238W’ (Limu) was intercropped with three varieties of soybean (‘Jalale,’ ‘Boshe’ and local) in a factorial combination of three populations densities of 25%, 50%, and 75% of the recommended population density along with the sole crops of the irrespective varieties of soybean and maize in randomized complete block (RCB) design with three replications. Data was collected on growth, yield and yield related parameters on both crops. The result revealed a plant density of intercropped soybean varieties significantly (P<0.01) affected yield and yield components of maize. Highest values for the number of ears per plant (1.88) and grain yield (7.19 tha-1) of maize were obtained from 25% soybean population and particularly from variety ‘Boshe’ for grain yield. Moreover, plant population and soybean variety significantly (P<0.01) affected grain yield of soybean showing the highest grain yield (1.58 tha-1) of soybean was recorded for variety ‘Boshe’. Generally, the highest LER (Land equivalent ratio) of grain yield (1.65 tha-1) and highest net benefit (44491.40 ETB (Ethiopian Birr) or1334.7USD ha-1) obtained from maize intercropped with ‘Boshe’ variety at a population of 50% revealing intercropping maize with ‘Boshe’ soybean at 50% plant population found to be appropriate to achieve high productivity.
Highlights
Low crop productivity and rapid population growth is the main problem facing sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia
The present study demonstrated that the main effect of soybean varieties, population and cropping system significantly (p
Higher grain yield was recorded in sole crop maize
Summary
Low crop productivity and rapid population growth is the main problem facing sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia. In order to ensure both food security and environmental quality, it is essential to seek best management practices, which include appropriate cropping systems that can efficiently utilize solar and soil resources with minimum nutrient inputs [2, 3]. Intercropping is a common practice in many areas of Africa as a part of traditional farming systems commonly implemented due to declining land sizes and food security problems [5, 6]. It is considered as a means to address some of the major problems associated with modern
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