Effect of Maize (Zea mays.L) on Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Yield and its Components in Maize-Bean Intercropping

This study was carried out to determine the performance of haricot bean varieties in the intercropping with maize hybrid. It was designed as RCBD design having three replications. The experimental materials were including 4 haricot bean varieties (Awash Melka, Awash-1, Dimtu and Nasir) and one maize hybrid (BH-540). Analysis result revealed that there is a significant difference among the haricot bean for the grain yield in the over all of two locations. It also showed that all the varieties showed comparative yield advantage if they will be intercropped with maize hybrid (BH-540) than the sole cropping system. The highest land equivalent ration was obtained by Dimtu (1.64). This indicated that 64 % more efficient to use Dimtu in the intercropping with BH-540 hybrid than the sole cropping system. Moreover, the relative yield advantage for Dimtu in the intercropping obtained 5817 kg/ha. It can be drawn a conclusion that using of intercropping system for the varieties used in the study will have yield advantage than the sole cropping system. The bean varieties which were intercropped with maize hybrid showed significant different for most of the traits such as days to flowering, Plant height, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant and hundred seed weight. But all of the traits for Maize showed no significant difference for all varieties in the intercropping as well as for the sole one. This indicates that bean yield in the intercropping varies with the bean varieties used. Therefore, it is important to find a compatible variety of bean to increase production in the bean- maize intercropping.