EVALUATION OF EARLY MATURING SORGHUM [SORGHUM BICOLOR (L.)MOENCH] AND COWPEA [VIGNAUNGUICULATA (L.)WALP.] VARIETIES INTERCROPPING FORBIOMASS YIELD IN FEDIS DISTRICT, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

The shortage of arable land and shortage of livestock feed are major constraints in East Hararghe Zone. Thus, a field study was conducted to evaluate early maturing sorghum and cowpea varieties intercropping for feed production at Fedis Agricultural Research Center, eastern Ethiopia in 2018 cropping season. With a total of 11 treatments; Two cowpea varieties (9333 and 9334) and three varieties of early maturing sorghum (Teshale, Birhan and Melkam) and their intercropping compared with sole cropping of all the varieties, which were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The result showedaboveground dry biomass of sorghum was highly significantly (p < 0.01) affected due to sorghum varieties. The highest aboveground dry biomass of sorghum (6.99 t ha-1) was obtained from sorghum Melkam + cowpea (9334) intercropping. The aboveground dry biomass yield of cowpea was significantly (p < 0.01) different due tointercropping. The maximum aboveground dry biomass yield of cowpea (8.19 t ha-1) was recorded for sole cowpea (9333). Generally, the results of this study showed that intercropping of sorghum-cowpea were increased the production of biomass yield of sorghum varieties. Based on the results of this study, it concluded that intercropping sorghum with forage cowpea; preferably, sorghum Melkam + cowpea (9333) to appropriate to increase Biomass yield in the study area.