@article{Ayele:304101,
      recid = {304101},
      author = {Ayele, H.M. },
      title = {Evaluation of the effect of maize-legume intercropping on  soil moisture improvement in arid area of Bena-Tsemay  district, South Omo zone, Southern Ethiopia},
      journal = {International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation  and Technology (IJARIT)},
      address = {2020-06-30},
      number = {2355-2020-1363},
      month = {Jun},
      year = {2020},
      abstract = {Usually crop failure due to moisture shortage in soils is  very much common due to high evaporation. Sometimes famers  try to combat this problem by using mulches of crop  residues in the study area. However, this is also highly  challenged shortage because the crop residues used as feed  for animals. Therefore, using the advantage and opportunity  of cover legumes as an intercrop is the solution of the  problems simultaneously in addition to their contribution  improving soil nutrient balance and other many fold  benefits. Therefore, this study aimed for evaluating the  effect of maize-legume covers intercropping on soil  moisture improvement and crop yield in moisture stress  areas of the study area. The entire grain yield of maize  and legumes, as well as soil moisture data were collected.  The result on soil moisture revealed that intercropping of  maize with cowpea had better soil moisture contents during  active crop development (15.98%) and after harvest (16.70%)  in average as compared to the others. The current finding  also showed that adopting intercropping of maize with  cowpea-boosted yield by 5256.24 kg ha-1 maize and 977.45 kg  ha-1 cowpea in average with higher moisture improvement as  compare to the other treatments. Therefore, intercropping  of maize with cowpea is important to farmers since it would  provide additional crop yield with the same piece of land.  However, to get considerable changes on soil and water  balances, other soil physic-chemical properties and crop  yields, conducting similar studies in more than two years  period at permanent field plots is paramount in the  future.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/304101},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.304101},
}