Grain Yield and LER of Maize-climbing Bean Intercropping as Affected by Inorganic, Organic Fertilisers and Population Density in Western Oromiya, Ethiopia

Abstract

Productivity of maize (Zea mays L.) and climbing bean (Phaseolus vulgars L.) intercropping system is affected by fertility status of the soil and population density of component crops. A trial was conducted in 2002 and 2003 cropping season to investigate the effects of inorganic and organic fertilisers and population density on productivity of maize-climbing bean intercropping system. The experiment was laid out as 2x2x2x2 factorial arrangement with two sole cropping in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Nitrogen and population density significantly increased grain yield of climbing bean. FYM significantly affected LER of intercropping system. Grain yield of component crops from intercropping were significantly higher than the monocultures. Yield of intercropping were up to 27 and 403% higher for maize and climbing bean than the yield achieved by growing the crops separately. Partial land equivalent ratio of maize and climbing bean ranged between 0.94 to 1.19 and 0.30 to 0.90, respectively. Higher partial LER of maize indicated the superiority of maize on climbing bean in intercropping. Higher land equivalent ratio was recorded from intercropping than sole planting. Intercropping produced 32 to 98% more yield per unit land area than the component monocultures. Intercropping maize-climbing bean is a viable agronomic practice to produce higher yield from a unit of land.