Javascript must be enabled to continue!
Intercropping Legumes Covers with Maize on Soil Moisture Improvement in Selected Dry Land Areas of Basketo Special Woreda’s, Ethiopia
View through CrossRef
Intercropping provides sufficient scope to include two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land, targeting higher land productivity. There is limited experimental evidence on the benefits of intercropping systems, which remains largely unstudied. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of intercropping on soil moisture conservation in a moisture-stressed area. For this study, a randomized complete block design was used to establish experimental plots with three replications. Five treatments were evaluated, including maize only, lablab only, cowpea only, lablab with maize, and cowpea with maize. Disturbed soil samples were collected from a depth of 0–30 cm and composited for soil moisture and physicochemical property analysis. The yield and biomass of maize and legume shrubs were collected from each plot, and the variations were analyzed using the general linear model. The land equivalent ratio (LER) was computed to evaluate land productivity. The result showed that higher soil moisture content was recorded on maize-cowpea intercrop (34.33%), followed by maize-lablab intercrop (31.20%) relative to sole maize (26.83%) at the development stage in the first-year trial. This implies the benefit of legume shrubs on soil moisture conservation, both under mono-cropped and intercropped conditions. In this trial, the highest LER values were obtained for maize intercropped with Lablab 1.44 at Angila 4 kebele, while at Angila 3 kebele, the highest LER values were obtained for maize intercropped with cowpea 1.29. Therefore, conducting similar studies for more than two years on permanent field plots is vital to achieving considerable changes in soil moisture and soil physicochemical properties, as well as helping farmers make better use of cereal-legume intercropping systems to increase yields in moisture-stress areas.
Keywords: Intercropping; Legume; Land equivalent ratio; Soil moisture; Yield
Title: Intercropping Legumes Covers with Maize on Soil Moisture Improvement in Selected Dry Land Areas of Basketo Special Woreda’s, Ethiopia
Description:
Intercropping provides sufficient scope to include two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land, targeting higher land productivity.
There is limited experimental evidence on the benefits of intercropping systems, which remains largely unstudied.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of intercropping on soil moisture conservation in a moisture-stressed area.
For this study, a randomized complete block design was used to establish experimental plots with three replications.
Five treatments were evaluated, including maize only, lablab only, cowpea only, lablab with maize, and cowpea with maize.
Disturbed soil samples were collected from a depth of 0–30 cm and composited for soil moisture and physicochemical property analysis.
The yield and biomass of maize and legume shrubs were collected from each plot, and the variations were analyzed using the general linear model.
The land equivalent ratio (LER) was computed to evaluate land productivity.
The result showed that higher soil moisture content was recorded on maize-cowpea intercrop (34.
33%), followed by maize-lablab intercrop (31.
20%) relative to sole maize (26.
83%) at the development stage in the first-year trial.
This implies the benefit of legume shrubs on soil moisture conservation, both under mono-cropped and intercropped conditions.
In this trial, the highest LER values were obtained for maize intercropped with Lablab 1.
44 at Angila 4 kebele, while at Angila 3 kebele, the highest LER values were obtained for maize intercropped with cowpea 1.
29.
Therefore, conducting similar studies for more than two years on permanent field plots is vital to achieving considerable changes in soil moisture and soil physicochemical properties, as well as helping farmers make better use of cereal-legume intercropping systems to increase yields in moisture-stress areas.
Keywords: Intercropping; Legume; Land equivalent ratio; Soil moisture; Yield.
Related Results
Effect of seeding ratio and time of planting of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) intercropping with maize (Zea mays) on agronomic parameters, forage biomass and grain yield of maize
Effect of seeding ratio and time of planting of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) intercropping with maize (Zea mays) on agronomic parameters, forage biomass and grain yield of maize
The study was conducted at Adami Tulu and Dugda districts of Oromia regional state, Ethiopia to determine the optimum level of seeding ratio and planting time of cowpea under maize...
Relay intercropping of maize with common dry beans to rationalize nitrogen fertilizer
Relay intercropping of maize with common dry beans to rationalize nitrogen fertilizer
Maize (Zea mays L.) and dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are important staple food and cash crops worldwide. Common bean in an intercrop with maize contributes to biological nitro...
Diplomatic Claims (Eritrea v. Ethiopia), Eritrea ' s Claim 20/Ethiopia ' s Claim 8, Partial Awards; Economic Loss Throughout Ethiopia (Ethiopia v. Eritrea), Ethiopia ' s Claim 7, Partial Award; Jus ad Bellum (Ethiopia v. Eritrea), Ethiopia ' s Claims 1-8,
Diplomatic Claims (Eritrea v. Ethiopia), Eritrea ' s Claim 20/Ethiopia ' s Claim 8, Partial Awards; Economic Loss Throughout Ethiopia (Ethiopia v. Eritrea), Ethiopia ' s Claim 7, Partial Award; Jus ad Bellum (Ethiopia v. Eritrea), Ethiopia ' s Claims 1-8,
Diplomatic Claims (Eritrea v. Ethiopia), Eritrea's Claim 20/Ethiopia's Claim 8, Partial Awards. At <http://www.pca-cpa.org>.Eritrea Ethiopia Claims Commission, December 19, 2...
Ecological soil physics as section of ecological soil science
Ecological soil physics as section of ecological soil science
Nowadays, there is a general penetration of ecology in other related sciences. Soil science is not an exception. To the evidence of this, the works of soil scientists may serve, th...
Pre-History and History of legumes to 1900
Pre-History and History of legumes to 1900
Legumes are thought to be one of the earliest human-domesticated plants. We know from Bible that Lentils were also the ingredient of the cultivation and food of ancient Egypt. In T...
Legume based Profitable Intercropping System for Management of Fall Armyworm in Maize
Legume based Profitable Intercropping System for Management of Fall Armyworm in Maize
Background: Incidence of fall armyworm in maize has been reported at a severe level since 2018 resulting in low yield and in extreme cases complete failure of the crop. In view of ...
Evaluating Intercropping Limitations of Cowpea (Vignaunguiculata L.), Pearl Millet (Pennisetumglaucum L.), and Maize (Zea Mays L.)
Evaluating Intercropping Limitations of Cowpea (Vignaunguiculata L.), Pearl Millet (Pennisetumglaucum L.), and Maize (Zea Mays L.)
Fodder scarcity is a main problem in boosting of livestock sector. Hypothesis was made in order to increase fodder yield per unit of land by intercropping of cowpeas, pearl millet ...
Duration of Poplar–Aralia elata Intercropping Alters Soil Nutrients and Microbial Communities in Northeast China
Duration of Poplar–Aralia elata Intercropping Alters Soil Nutrients and Microbial Communities in Northeast China
Monoculture plantations often face challenges of soil degradation and declining ecosystem services. Intercropping is beneficial to improving soil quality; however, the long-term ef...

