Abstract:
The current study was conducted with the objectives of evaluating the effect of intercropping dates on the performances of maize and lablab morphological parameters, dry matter yield, maize grain yield, and nutritional values under rained condition. The treatments arrangement was laid using randomized completed block design (RCBD). The treatment was T5= sowing lablab alone (SOL), T1= sowing alone maize (SOM), T2= similar sowing date of lablab and maize at intercropping (ML0), lablab sowing after 20, 40 days of maize planting. The treatments were randomly assigned in each plot and replicated three times. All agronomic practices were performed during trial. In this experimental trail, dataset from morphological parameters, maize grain yield, dry matter yield and chemical composition were recorded from five middle rows (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th) using ten plants per row by excluding the border rows effect. From the total area of (25m)2 each of plot size (2m2) was harvested at recommended maturity stages both used for collection of samples to determine forage yield and chemical composition are DM, ASH, OM, CP, NDF ADF and ADL. Sub-samples of each harvest were weighed for fresh weight, dry weight, and subjected to chemical compositions analysis and determined in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVOMD) after calibration of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). All recorded dataset were managed using Microsoft (MS) excel 2010 and subjected to analysis using the General Linear Model of the ANOVA procedure of SAS (9.0). The results showed that morphological attributes, dry matter yield, and maize grain yield and their nutritional values were statistically significantly (P<0.05) affected by sowing dates. Whereas, root length, acid detergent fiber (ADF %) of maize, and root length and ADL% of lablab were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The highest total dry matter yield (14.83t/ha) was found from lablab when it was intercropped with maize after twenty days and the lowest dry matter yield (5.31t/ha) was found from lablab alone.
Better land equivalent ratio ranging from 1.54-1.89 was obtained which is significantly different among the treatments T4 and T3. The highest value of crude protein (8.67%), CP yield (0.92t/ha) and the lowest crude fiber fractions of maize were obtained from ML20 treatment. In addition, the highest value of CP (17.12%) with the lowest values of crude fiber fractions was observed from the ML20 treatment. However, the highest crude protein yield (1.62) was recorded from lablab alone. A significant of (P<0.001) strong positive correlations were observed between CP and CPY, NDF and ADL, and also NDF has a positive moderate correlation with ADF respectively. Based on the current study, the feed production from ML20 would be more beneficial which had highest economic feasibility observed due to optimum dry matter yield, maize grain yield, and quality parameters. It was concluded that among employed experiments better dry matter yield and forage quality was recorded use as an alternative forage resource for animals feed production. Therefore, among the trail experiment was done recommended at lablab mixtured maize planted after twenty days in the study area and similar agro-ecological.