A Study of the Effect of Sorghum Varieties and Cowpea Intercropping on Land Productivity and Competition Index in Fedis District, Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Now a day human population increasing rapidly and cause land shortage land degradation, and poor soil fertility. Intercropping provides an opportunity to harness available resources by the cultivation of two or more crops planted simultaneously in the same land to produced cereal-legume for food and feed. A field study was conducted in Fedis District in 2018 to determine the impact of intercropping early maturing sorghum varieties and cowpeas on the land productivity and competition index. With a total of 11 treatments; two cowpea cultivars (9333 and 9334) and three varieties of early maturing sorghum (Teshale, Birhan and Melkam), their intercropping and sole cropping were determined using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Intercropping of sorghum-cowpea varieties produced significantly higher total land productivity than sole cropping of both varieties. The value of land equivalent ratio ranges from 1.21 for Sorghum (Teshale) + Cowpea (9334) to 1.36 for sorghum (Birhan) + cowpea (9333) and the overall mean was obtained as 1.30. The Percentage of the land saved of grain yields obtained was ranges 17.37% to 26.47% from of sorghum Teshale + cowpea varieties (9334) to sorghum Birhan + cowpea varieties (9333) and for Biomass yield production recorded from 27.01% to 36.71% that obtained from sorghum Melkam + cowpea (9333) and sorghum Birhan + cowpea (9334). Intercropped of sorghum-cowpea over all mean 23.25% for grain yield and 31.515% for biomass land was saved than sowing alone. Based on the result sorghum-cowpea intercropped, had the strength of relationship interaction and compatible; preferably sorghum Melkam + cowpea (9333) appropriate to increase the productions in study area and with similar agro-ecology.