Effect of Intercropping Cereal with Legume on Yield Advantages, Weed and Diseases Controlling and Resource Use Efficiency: A Review

Abstract

Abstract

Nowadays in Ethiopia, food production for a rapidly growing population is difficult due to a shortage of farm land. In addition there is a deterioration of the quality of farm land in terms of soil fertility and soil quality and high intensity of insect pests and diseases in the farm land. So to solve the above problems, intercropping of cereals with legumes crops could increase total grain production and reduce economic and environmental risks common in monocropping systems. The intercropping of a legume in cereal crops is most common in the arid and semi-arid areas at the place where a resource is the limiting condition. Many yield advantages have been recorded in many legume–cereal intercropping systems than sole cropping of cereal or legumes including cowpea–maize [1], faba bean–wheat [2], and vetch–oat [3]. Weed biomass was reduced from 40.4 g/m² in sole wheat to 31.1 g/m² in mixed culture and the chocolate spot disease score was reduced from 5.1 in sole faba bean to 3.4 in mixed culture [4]. Intercropping offers effective weed suppression, pest and diseases control, and use of soil resources under organic farming systems. The highest land equivalent ratios (LERs), 2.0 and 1.5 were obtained when a planting pattern of 1:1 ratio of maize and faba bean alternate rows was used. The reason of yield advantage for intercropping legumes with cereals as compared to sole cropping are mainly due to environmental resources such as water, light and nutrients that can be utilized more efficiently in intercropping than in the respective sole cropping systems [5]. To give general conclusion, intercropping of cereal with legumes may increase total yield and revenue, reduce input supply, reduce weed and disease intensity, increase land-use efficiency, minimize the risk of crop failure and enhance sustainability of crop production in whole parts of the Ethiopia, especially in the areas where sole cropping system is not reliable.

 Keywords: Intercropping, cereal, legume, yield, weed and diseases control

Cite this Article

Ejigu D. Effect of intercropping cereal with legume on yield advantages, weed and diseases controlling and resource use efficiency: A Review. Journal of Crop Science and Technology. 2016; 5(3): 8–15p.