Submit Manuscript

Asian Journal of Plant Sciences

Year: 2007 | Volume: 6 | Issue: 5 | Page No.: 749-756
Facebook Twitter Digg Reddit Linkedin StumbleUpon E-mail

Article Trend

Total views 465

Search

Authors

T. Tamado

C. Fininsa

W. Worku

Keywords

Research Article

Agronomic Performance and Productivity of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Varieties in Double Intercropping with Maize (Zea mays L.) in Eastern Ethiopia

T. Tamado, C. Fininsa and W. Worku
Selection of appropriate varieties of component crops is important to maximize the productivity of double intercropping. Field experiments were conducted at Alemaya in 2003 and 2004 and at Hirna in 2004, eastern Ethiopia, to evaluate the agronomic performance of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. ) varieties in double intercropping with maize (Zea mays L. ), select suitable common bean varieties for double intercropping and assess the productivity of the system. Common bean varieties were double intercropped with maize in Belg (short rainy season) and Meher (long rainy season). The common bean varieties on the average matured 15 days earlier during the Belg compared with the Meher season. Bean variety MAM-25 matured at the earliest while TY3396-12 was late and produced the highest number of nodules (78.3) per plant. Bean varieties grown in intercropping with maize showed significant differences in seed yield (kg ha-1) in Belg. Sole cropped bean showed significantly higher leaf area index during Meher season in 2004 and higher number of nodules, pods and seed yield (kg ha-1) than intercropped bean. The common bean varieties had no significant effect on LAI, height, number of ears and grain yield (kg ha-1) of the associated maize, but harvest index at Alemaya in 2003. The total LERs indicated 25 to 66% yield advantage of double intercropping over sole cropping at Alemaya and 6 to 46% at Hirna. Double intercropping of common bean variety Gofta with maize gave the highest gross monetary value (6054.8 ETB ha-1 at Alemaya, 8097.1 ETB ha-1 at Hirna). The study proved the agronomic and economic feasibility of double intercropping of common bean with maize under smallholder farming system of eastern Ethiopia.
PDF Fulltext XML References Citation

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *