Abstract
Production of finger millet and vetch species in Ethiopia targets mostly on sole cropping system without considering the relative performance of varieties of varying seeding ratios under finger millet/vetch intercropping. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate grain yield and yield components of three vetch species and finger millet intercropped at different seeding ratios. Factorial combination of three vetch species and five seeding ratios (0 : 100, 25 : 75, 50 : 50, 75 : 25, and 100 : 0% finger millet: vetch) were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Analysis of variance showed that intercropping had a significant (P<0.05) effect on plant height, heads per plant, fingers per head, and grain yield of finger millet. The highest grain yield (2058.75 kg ha−1) of finger millet was harvested from a treatment combination of 75% finger millet + 25% Vicia villosa. Analysis of variance also showed that plant height, leaves per plant, branches per plant, pods per plant, seeds per pod, and seed yield of vetch species had significantly varied (P<0.05) for the tested treatments. Maximum and minimum seed yields (236.19 and 106.45 kg ha−1) of vetch were harvested from 25% finger millet + 75% Vicia sativa and 75% finger millet + 25% Vicia villosa, respectively. LER and RCC were improved due to intercropping different species of vetch with finger millet at various seeding ratios. The highest total LER (1.146) and RCC (3.00) were obtained from 75% finger millet + 25% Vicia villosa. Thus, it can be concluded that in Bako and similar agroecologies, where feed shortage is a critical problem, intercropping of 75% finger millet + 25% Vicia villosa can be used to alleviate the existing feed shortage in smallholder farming system.
Highlights
In the developing countries of the world, both human and livestock populations increase side by side from time to time, despite the limited resources that the two entities can absorb [1]
Recent research results in northern Ethiopia show that intercropping of finger millet with forage legumes was preferred by farmers and had a yield advantage over single crops [15]. erefore, it may be ideal to integrate vetch seed production with finger millet grain production through intercropping to achieve significant yields from the same plot with economical use of resources. erefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the grain/seed yield and the yield components of three species of vetch and finger millet intercropped at different sowing ratios under Bako conditions
Description of the Study Area. e experiment was conducted during the main rainy season (June to November) in 2020 at Bako Agricultural Research Center (BARC), which is located in Oromia Regional State, West Shewa Zone, and Bako Tibe District, about 250 km from the capital, Addis Ababa, on the way to Nekemte Town
Summary
In the developing countries of the world, both human and livestock populations increase side by side from time to time, despite the limited resources that the two entities can absorb [1]. E main goal of intercropping is to get a higher yield on a given piece of land by better utilizing growth resources that would otherwise not be utilized by a single crop [3]. It is important for the development of sustainable food production systems, especially in farming systems with limited external inputs. E intercropping of food grains with forage legumes could be an important management practice to fill the production gaps of food and feed in both quantity and quality for human food and animal feed and increase the profitability and sustainability of the system in tropical regions [4]. A legume-cereal combination is the most common type of intercropping that occurs in annual crops, and the majority of successful
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