Selection of maize and legumes variety selection in Ethiopia target only sole cropping
system without considering the relative performance of varieties of varying morphologies under maize/legume intercropping. The objective of this study was to
assess the effects of intercropping maize and common bean varieties with different
morphologies on yield and system productivity of maize/common bean intercropping
system. The treatments consisted of factorial combinations of three maize (BH543,
BH661 and Gibe-2) and three common bean (Anger, Nassier and Haramaya) varieties
and sole crops of the six varieties, which were laid out in randomized complete block
design with three replications. The experiment was conducted at Bako, western
Ethiopia, during the main cropping seasons of 2011 and 2012. Main effects due to
variety and cropping system were significant for maize biomass and grain yield in both
years. Relative to sole cropping system, intercropping significantly reduced maize and
common bean grain yields by 7% and 70%, respectively. Intercropping increased plant
height of common bean by 48% relative to sole crop conditions. Among the different
intercropping combinations, growing common bean variety, Haramaya with maize
hybrid BH661 gave the highest land equivalent ratio of 1.28, highest relative crowding
coefficient of 6.75 and highest net benefit of Birr 23,328 ha-1. As a strategy to maximize
land productivity and resource use efficiency, intercropping that involves the two
compatible varieties of the component crops is recommended for Bako and similar areas of western Ethiopia.
