EFFECTS OF LEGUME CROPS AND TIME OF INTERCROPPING ON INFESTATION OF STRIGA (Striga hermonthica) ON YIELDAND YIELD RELATED TRAITS OF SORGHUM (Sorghum bicolor L.) AT FEDIS EAST HARARGHE ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor(L.)Moench] is the most important staple crop in Ethiopia and cultivated in a wide range of elevation and rainfall conditions .In the dry lowland areas of Ethiopia. Sorghum production and productivity is constrained by various abiotic and biotic factors including parasitic weed Striga. Several studies revealed that, the effect of Striga on sorghum can vary from 40% to 100% yield loss. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the best combination of sorghum-legume intercropping that can reduce or control the impact of striga on sorghum production and productivity. Three legume crops and one sorghum variety were intercropped both simultaneously and staggered planting in split-split plot design. Results indicated that sorghum-legume intercropping significantly reduces the percentage of Striga infestation (Mungbean, cowpea and common bean when intercropped simultaneously with sorghum in row pattern observed highly reduction of Striga in 94.5, 94.5 and 54 respectively and increases yield by 42.8,29.4and40.5 respectively and in percent froms16-43than sole-sorghum planting at(0.05). Among the tested intercropping, sorghum-mung bean, showed a higher yield (4010kg/ha) and sorghum-cowpea the least (2134kg/ha) high land equivalent ratio observed (soghum mungbean), and monetary advantage (98,816-77, 826) and the least observed on sole sorghum (34,213). Planting sorghum- legume simultaneously also showed a significant yield (4Q-13Q/ha) advantage over staggered planting, this result is also supported by the reduced Striga count recorded for simultaneous planting. In summary, in this study, intercropping sorghum with simultaneously provides credible evidence to control the impact of Striga on sorghum production and productivity indicating that this cropping system can be further tested in similar agro ecologies and can be recommended to be used as one of the cropping systems to reduce the impact of Striga and enhance sorghum production and productivity