Vol. 12(1), pp. 17-24, March 2024
https://doi.org/10.14662/arjasr2024020
Copyright 2024
Author(s) retain the copyright of this article
ISSN: 2360-7874
http://www.academicresearchjournals.org/ARJASR/Index.htm
 

Research paper

Evaluation of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Sesbania sesban Nitrogen Fixing Alley Cropping Species on Maize Yield and Yield Components

 

Bikila Mengistu1*, Wondmagegn Bekele2, Zerihun Dibaba2 and Fikru Ameyu 2, Hirpa Abebe2

 

1 Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Fitche Agricultural Research Center, North-Shewa,Oromia, Ethiopia 2 Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Sinana Agricultural Research Center, Bale-Robe, Oromia, Ethiopia *Corresponding author Email: bikilamengistu@gmail.com

 

Accepted 19 March 2024

Abstract

Crop production is heavily dependent on available nutrient in the soil and other environmental conditions for plant growth. Alley cropping allows the farmers to effectively use available resources and yield more benefits. Choosing suitable associated crop and mitigating the competition between trees and crops are crucial for designing the alley cropping systems. Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of Sesbania Sesban alley cropping on Maize yield and yield components and to evaluate the trends in maize grain yield over time in mid lands of Bale. The experiments were conducted in the past three years at Dello Menna District of Bale. The experiments were conducted in RCBD design with combination of Maize crop, Sesbania sesban alley cropping with different nitrogen level fertilizer (0%N, 25%N, 50%N, 75%N, and 100% N) was evaluated in this study. The result shows that the crop yields in three alley cropping systems were better than the conventional agriculture. For Dello Menna districts the application of 50% N fertilizer rates and Sesbania sesban alley cropping which generated high optimum grain yield 56.66qt/ha with economically reasonable yield. Based on the this experiment, the economic analysis showed that Maize with Sesbania sesban alley cropping +50%N and 100% P rate tested at Dello menna location gave the highest maize yield (5666 Kg ha-1) with the net benefit (150252.2 ETB ha-) and the highest marginal rate of return (2342.04%) which economically feasible alternative to the other treatments. Generally maize Sesbania sesban alley cropping is used to improve the soil fertility, used to improve the yield sustainability, used to improve farmers’ income by minimizing fertilizer cost. Therefore, the combination of application of 50% N fertilizer rates and maize Sesbania susban sesban alley cropping were recommended for the study location and similar agro-ecologies in the midlands of Ethiopia.

 

Key words: Benefit, combination, economic analysis Nitrogen level, Trend.

 

How to cite this article (APA Style): Mengistu, B., Bekele, W., Dibaba, Z., Ameyu, F., Abebe, H. (2024). Evaluation of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Sesbania sesban Nitrogen Fixing Alley Cropping Species on Maize Yield and Yield Components. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 12(1): 17-24