Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research
 

Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research 

Vol. 4(6), pp. 297-320. November, 2016.

ISSN: 2360-7874 

 DOI: 10.14662/ARJASR2016.037

Full Length Research

Determinations of Haricot Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Planting Density and Spatial Arrangement for Staggered Intercropping with Maize (Zea mays L.) at Wondo Genet, Southern Ethiopia

Belstie Lulie^1*, Walelign Worku² and Sheleme Beyene³

¹Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center, P.o.box, 198, Shashemene, Ethiopia

^{2, 3} Hawassa University College of Agriculture, P.o.box, 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia

^*Corresponding author’s email: kbelstie@yahoo.com

Accepted 5 November 2016

Wondo Genet area, which is located in Sidama zone of south Ethiopia, is characterized by rapidly increasing human population and scarcity of arable land per household. There is a need for developing an efficient cropping system in order to use the limited land efficiently and to enhance food security. An experiment was, therefore, conducted at Wondo Genet agricultural research center experimental farm to determine the optimum proportion and spatial arrangement of haricot bean under staggered intercropping with maize and assess the biological efficiency and economic return. The trial was a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement in RCBD design consisting of ten treatments: two haricot bean spatial arrangements (single and double row) and four haricot bean densities (250000, 187500, 125000 & 62500 plants ha -1). The analysis of variance indicated that cropping system revealed significant effect on yield and yield components of maize where significant reduction was found under intercropped plots. Sole cropped maize had highest yield (7.87 ton ha-1) and intercropping with bean reduced its yield by 10 %. On the other hand, the spatial arrangement by planting density interaction significantly affected grain yield of haricot bean where the maximum (2.24 ton ha-1) and minimum (0.95 ton ha-1) yields were recorded at 100% haricot bean population density with a double row arrangement and 25% density with single row arrangement, respectively. The cropping system, on the other hand, significantly influenced all yield and yield components of haricot bean except seed number per pod. The highest grain yield (2.62 ton ha-1) of haricot bean was obtained at sole planting compared to that of intercropping (1.58 ton ha-1) with maize showing 40% loss. In general, relative yields of component crops were reduced in mixture and haricot bean showed greater degree of yield reduction than its respective maize counterpart. Additionally, intercropping of maize with haricot bean had total LER value greater than 1 which showed the advantage of intercropping over sole cropping of each crop. Intercropping of the two component crops at 100 and 75% population density (statistically at par) achieved total LER values of 1.69 and 1.61 and MAI values of 21445 and 19817 ETBha-1 respectively. Therefore, haricot bean with a density of 187500 plants ha-1 and at a spacing of either 80 *7cm (1:1) or 40 * 14cm (1:2) could be recommended for intercropping with maize 30 days after maize planting in the target area, based on its better compatibility, productivity and economic benefit.

Key words: Haricot bean, LER, MAI, maize, population density, spatial arrangement

 

How to cite this article: Lulie B, Worku W, Beyene S (2016). Determinations of Haricot Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Planting Density and Spatial Arrangement for Staggered Intercropping with Maize (Zea mays L.) at Wondo Genet, Southern Ethiopia. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 4(6): 297-320

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