Effects of intercropping desho grass with vetch on forage yield, nutritional quality and soil fertility in Lemo District of Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia

cg.authorship.typesCGIAR and developing country instituteen_US
cg.contributor.affiliationWachemo Universityen_US
cg.contributor.crpLivestocken_US
cg.contributor.donorUnited States Agency for International Developmenten_US
cg.coverage.countryEthiopiaen_US
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2ETen_US
cg.coverage.regionAfricaen_US
cg.coverage.regionEastern Africaen_US
cg.howPublishedGrey Literatureen_US
cg.placeHossana, Ethiopiaen_US
cg.subject.ilriFARMING SYSTEMSen_US
cg.subject.ilriFEEDSen_US
cg.subject.ilriFORAGESen_US
cg.subject.ilriINNOVATION SYSTEMSen_US
cg.subject.ilriINTENSIFICATIONen_US
cg.subject.ilriLIVESTOCKen_US
cg.subject.ilriRESEARCHen_US
dc.contributor.authorBerhanu, Melkamuen_US
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-03T12:02:48Zen_US
dc.date.available2023-01-03T12:02:48Zen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/126479en_US
dc.titleEffects of intercropping desho grass with vetch on forage yield, nutritional quality and soil fertility in Lemo District of Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopiaen_US
dcterms.abstractThis experiment was conducted in Hadiya Zone, Lemo district of southern Ethiopia with the objectives of evaluating the effects of intercropping desho grass with vetch (v.villosa) on forage yield, nutritional quality and soil fertility. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Soil samples were collected before planting and after forage harvest. The treatments were desho vetch intercropping at a 12kg/ha seed rate for vetch (T1), desho vetch intercropping at a 9kg/ha seed rate for vetch (T2), desho vetch intercropping at 6kg/ha seed rate for vetch (T3), sole desho grass (T4) and sole vetch (T5). Data on biomass yield; plant height and chemical compositions were recorded and analyzed using the General Linear Model procedures of SAS. Relative yield, relative yield total, and aggressivity index were calculated for biological compatibility and yield advantages of desho and vetch (V.villosa). The pre- sowing soil analysis showed that the experimental soil had average pH of 6.73. This indicates that the soil was slightly acidic. Intercropping vetch with desho grass resulted in significantly higher total dry matter yield than sole desho grass at all cutting stages. The highest total dry matter yield (16.04-26.3 t/ha) was obtained from T1. The highest forage CP content (%) was obtained from T1 (10.07-13.45%) at all harvesting stages. On the other hand, significantly (P<0.05) higher ADF, ADL and NDF contents (%) was obtained from sole desho grass. Significantly higher in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) was obtained from intercropped desho grass with vetch (T1; 60.24, T2; 58.54 and T3; 60.03) at all cutting stages compared to the pure stand. The relative yield total of desho-vetch mixtures were greater than one, showing a yield advantage over the pure stand. The higher organic carbon percentage in tested soil after forage harvest in all vetch based treatments was probably due to improved soil fertility. The intercropping at a 12kg/ha seed rate for vetch has the potential to provide maximize production and productivity in study area and thus can be recommended for further evaluation and application.en_US
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Accessen_US
dcterms.audienceScientistsen_US
dcterms.bibliographicCitationBerhanu, M. 2022. Effects of intercropping desho grass with vetch on forage yield, nutritional quality and soil fertility in Lemo District of Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia. MSc thesis in Animal Production Health. Hossana, Ethiopia: Wachemo University.en_US
dcterms.issued2022-10-31en_US
dcterms.languageenen_US
dcterms.licenseOtheren_US
dcterms.publisherWachemo Universityen_US
dcterms.subjectintensificationen_US
dcterms.subjectmixed farmingen_US
dcterms.subjectforageen_US
dcterms.subjectlivestocken_US
dcterms.subjectpennisetum pedicellatumen_US
dcterms.typeThesisen_US

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