dc.description.abstract |
Shortage of crop land is becoming the critical constraint for crop production and
diversification in areas like Dera District where human population is increasing ever.
Intercropping is one of the methods used for alleviating this problem, but farmers practice it
rarely and it is not even well recognized by research and extension. Therefore, a field
experiment was conducted in 2019 main cropping season in Dera District, Northwestern
Ethiopia to assess the potential of intercropping of different legumes with maize in additive
design at different intra row spacing for improving land productivity. The combinations of
three different legumes (haricot bean, soybean and cowpea) and two intra-row spacing of the
legumes (the recommended ones and twice the recommended ones) and their sole cropping
including sole maize, totally 10 treatments, were laid out in randomized complete block
design with three replications. Legumes with maize were planted on the same date in an
additive series in the beginning of June. Phenological, vegetative growth, yield related
parameters of the component crops, as well as, productivity and economic gains were used as
experimental data for evaluating the study. Most agronomic attributes were significantly
influenced by the treatments. Haricot bean intercropping with maize at 10cm intra row based
on net benefit outperformed over all sole crops and other intercropping systems and hence it
is recommended for the study area. Since this study was conducted only in one season and
one location, it is however necessary to conduct similar studies further in different seasons
and locations to come up with concrete workable recommendations.
Keywords: Equivalent yield, land equivalent ratio, net return, sole cropping. |
en_US |