INTERCROPPING EFFECT OF SELECTED LEGUMES ON GROWTH, GRAIN YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF MAIZE ((ZEA MAYS L).

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted at Mekelle University agricultural research demonstration site in 2017-2018 to determine the effect of intercropping of maize with five legumes (chickpea, cowpea, faba-bean, field pea and soybean) on growth, yield and yield attributes of maize.  11 treatments; sole maize, maize+ chickpea, maize + field-pea, maize + faba-bean, maize + cowpea and mize + soybean, sole chickpea, field pea, fababean, cowpea and soybean were conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The result indicated that yield and yield related traits of maize were significantly (p<0.01) affected by intercropping of maize with tested legumes. The highest plant height (164.7 cm), thousand seed weight (328.7 g), biological yield (13,026 kgha^-1), grain yield (4772 kgha^-1) and harvest index (36.6%) were recorded in maize intercropped with soybean. while, maize intercropped with cowpea resulted in highest number of seeds per row (35.8) and maximum number of seed per cob (465.7). Maize intercropped with soybean and cowpea showed better yield and yield related traits of maize than sole maize and when intercropped with chickpea,  faba-bean and field pea. Land equivalent ratio (LER) was used to compare the land use efficiency of the intercrops with each sole crop. The highest land equivalent value of (1.745 and 1.708) was recorded for maize intercropped with soybean and cowpea respectively, indicated a yield advantage of 74.5 %  and 70.8%over sole maize. Therefore, maize intercropping with soybean and cowpea are viable agronomic option in intensifying crop production and is recommended to be practiced by farmers for increase maize productivity.