Seeding Rate & Fertilizer Effect on Yield of Maize-Vetch Intercropping

A field experiment was conducted to determine the effect of seeding rate and spatial arrangement of vetch and fertilizer on yield and yield components of the associated crops. Application of fertilizer significantly affected the phenology of maize and vetch. Days to flowering of vetch was significantly affected by spatial arrangement, seeding rate and cropping system. Fertilizer significantly increased maize plant height by 19.6%, leaf area by 6.9%, leaf area index by 7.3%, ear length by 19.6%, thousand seed weight by 8.4%, seed ear-1 by 24.9%, dry matter by 24.9%, grain yield by 60.5% and harvest index by 13% and ear height by 15.7% over the unfertilized treatments. Application of fertilizer increased plant height of vetch by 6.4% and biomass yield by 25.4% over the unfertilized treatments and the highest seed rate (30kgha-1) increased plant height by 11%, biomass yield by 2.5% than 20kgha-1seed rate. More biomass yield of 76.6% and 116.4% for the 20 and 30kgha-1 seed rate, respectively, was obtained from sole than intercropped vetch. The productivity of intercropping was 46.7, 3.4 and 2.7% more in plots treated with fertilizer, double alternate row arrangement and seed rate of 30

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Firehiwot Endale was born in September, 1983 G.C at S/Gondar, Ethiopia. She joined Mekelle University and graduated with BSc Degree in Horticulture in, July 2006 and she obtained her M.Sc. Degree from Hawassa University in Agronomy in, 2008. Currently she is lecturer in Dilla University.