Effect of Sorghum and Cowpea of Intercropping Systems at Mechara on Station, West Hararghe, Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia

The experiment was conducted at Mechara Agricultural Research Center (McARC) on experimental station with the objectives to evaluate the effect sorghum and cowpea intercropping on grain and forage dry matter yield and to recommend appropriate intercropping strategy for the study area.A total of ten treatments; Abshir + cow pea + fertilizer, Abshir + cow pea without fertilizer, Abshir sole with fertilizer, cow pea sole without fertilizer, IS-9302 + cow pea + fertilizer, IS-9302 + cow pea without fertilizer, IS-9302 sole with fertilizer, Seredo + cow pea + fertilizer, Seredo + cow pea without fertilizer and Seredo sole with fertilizer were used.The experiment was arranged using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications.The experiment was conducted on the plot size of 4m*6m.The sorghum varieties were sown at the spacing of 75cm between rows and 20cm between plants.Cowpea also planted with spacing of two rows between sorghum spaced at 25cm away from the rows of the sorghum at the time of the first weeding of sorghum to minimize any competition.The grain yield of the sorghum, IS-9302 and cowpea with fertilizer (37.54 Qt/ha) showed was significantly higher than the rest of the other sorghums (Abshir and Seredo) (P<0.05).The mean grain yield of Abshir and cowpea intercropping without fertilizer (5.59 Qt/ha) was significantly lower than those of the sorghums-cowpea intercrops (8.86-37.54Qt/ha) (P>0.05).The mean grain yield of sole cowpea (6.01 t/ha) was significantly higher than those of the IS-9302-cowpea intercrop with fertilize (2.86t/ha), IS-9302-cowpea intercrop without fertilize (3.13t/ha) and Seredocowpea intercrop without fertilize (3.59t/ha) (P<0.05).The biomass yield of the individual sorghums and cowpea showed were not significantly difference to each other (P>0.05).The results suggest that sorghums and cowpea grain yields and biomass yields of intercrops can be maximized for both human and livestock feeding by integrating IS-9302 and cowpea with fertilizer (37.54 Qt/ha).Hence, from the overall performances IS-9302 IS-9302 and cowpea intercropping with fertilizer was selected for demonstration and promotion in the study area.