On-farm participatory evaluation and selection of legumes intercropped with finger millet (Eleusine coracana L) in Western Amhara

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Intercropping is one of the sustainable intensification methods which reduces the demand for increased land resources. However, growing of two or more crops as an intercrop is not business as usual but it needs extensive knowledge about the nature of component crops to grow in harmony. Hence selection and evaluation of compatible legume species for intercropping with finger millet in the study area is necessary. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A field experiment was conducted at two major finger millet producing areas of northwestern Ethiopia. Four legumes crops such as (sweet lupine, cowpea, haricot bean, and soybean) intercropped with finger millet. RESULTS: The analysis of variance showed that intercropping of finger millet with different legumes had yield advantage in both districts as compared to component crops. Land equivalent ratio was more than unity for all treatments in both districts except for finger millet intercropped with soybean at South Achefer district. At Guangua finger millet + cowpea and finger millet + soybean showed 27% and 12% yield advantage, respectively and also finger millet + cowpea preferred first by farmers for its high grain yield, soil fertility improvement and its suitability for animal feed. At South Achefer finger millet + sweet lupine and finger millet + cowpea showed 38% and 35% yield advantage respectively and also finger millet + sweet lupine preferred first by farmers for its high grain yield to make stew as a protein source, soil fertility improvement and its suitability for human and animal feed. CONCLUSION: Therefore intercropping, finger millet + cowpea and finger millet + soybean at Guangua and finger millet + sweet lupine and finger millet + cowpea at South Achefer preferred by farmers and also had yield advantage as compared to component crops. Hence finger millet + cowpea and finger millet + soybean recommended for Guangua and similar agro-ecologies and finger millet + sweet lupine and finger millet + cowpea for South Achefer and similar agro-ecologies as 1(st), 2(nd) option respectively.