Evaluation of the effect of maize-legume intercropping on soil moisture improvement in arid area of Bena-Tsemay district, South omo zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Usually crop failure due to moisture shortage in soils is very much common due to high evaporation. Sometimes famers try to combat this problem by using mulches of crop residues in the study area. However, this is also highly challenged shortage because the crop residues used as feed for animals. Therefore, using the advantage and opportunity of cover legumes as an intercrop is the solution of the problems simultaneously in addition to their contribution improving soil nutrient balance and other many fold benefits. Therefore, this study aimed for evaluating the effect of maize-legume covers intercropping on soil moisture improvement and crop yield in moisture stress areas of the study area. The entire grain yield of maize and legumes, as well as soil moisture data were collected. The result on soil moisture revealed that intercropping of maize with cowpea had better soil moisture contents during active crop development (15.98%) and after harvest (16.70%) in average as compared to the others. The current finding also showed that adopting intercropping of maize with cowpea-boosted yield by 5256.24 kg ha-1 maize and 977.45 kg ha-1 cowpea in average with higher moisture improvement as compare to the other treatments. Therefore, intercropping of maize with cowpea is important to farmers since it would provide additional crop yield with the same piece of land. However, to get considerable changes on soil and water balances, other soil physic-chemical properties and crop yields, conducting similar studies in more than two years period at permanent field plots is paramount in the future.
 Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 10(1): 80-86, June 2020

Intercropping Pattern and N Fertilizer Schedule Affect the Performance of Additively Intercropped Maize and Forage Cowpea in the Mediterranean Region

“…Recently, intercropping has been considered an effective strategy to enhance the resilience of the farming system to climate change hazards [1]. Cereal-legume intercropping is a widely proposed strategy to develop a sustainable food and forage production system [2,3] to replenish the food and feed gaps, especially in developing countries with restricted agricultural inputs [4,5].…”

“…In addition, due to its cover nature, it is highly effective in reducing soil erosion and conserving the soil moisture content. Dramatic reductions in soil moisture content usually accompany sole maize cropping due to increased evapotranspiration, which is distinguishably low in the case of cowpea cropping [2]. Nonetheless, the different root architecture of maize and cowpea allows the crops to capture soil moisture at different depths, and increases the water-use efficiency of the system [4].…”

“…Nonetheless, the different root architecture of maize and cowpea allows the crops to capture soil moisture at different depths, and increases the water-use efficiency of the system [4]. Thus, there is evidence that intercropping cowpea with maize is effective in conserving soil's moisture content, which may reach 15.98% during the active period of crop development and 16.70% after crop removal [2,18]. Therefore, maize-forage cowpea intercropping is specially recommended in countries suffering from escalating water issues, such as Egypt.…”

Evaluation of Intercropping Legume Covers with Maize on Soil Moisture Improvement in Misrak Azerinet Berbere woreda, SNNPR, Ethiopia

“…The finding of Gebremichael et al [14] also reported the positive advantage of intercropping sorghum with cowpea (LER > 1) while intercropping sorghum with pigeon pea negatively affects crop productivity. The finding of Ayele [10] also reported land equivalent ratio (LER) for the grain yield of maize and lablab was 1.7, while 1.9 LER was obtained from the intercropping of maize with cowpea. The finding of Gebremichael et al [14] confirmed that intercropping sorghum with pigeon pea and cowpea increases the land productivity as its land equivalent ratio is greater than 1.…”

“…However, the grain yield of both maize and legume shrubs under mono cropped condition is lower than intercropped condition. Ayele [10] evaluated that the soil moisture content in the sole crop of maize decreased due to high evapotranspiration potential and increased in the sole crop of cowpea. The reduction on grain yield on legumes shrubs could be due to the shading effect of maize which probably due to the receipt of lower amount of incoming solar radiation which affected the rate of photosynthesis and thereby translocation of photosynthesis from source to sink.…”