Abstract:
The gradual decrease in land holdings for food production is alarming over time to meet the
increasing food demand of the increasing population all over the world particularly in
developing nations like Ethiopia. Cultivating multiple crops together (intercropping) is one of
the feasible options to maximize crop yields per unit area. The objective of this study was to
determine the optimum planting density of Lima bean when intercropped with maize for greater
yield and system productivity of the associated crops. The experiment was conducted at two
sites (Seka and Dimtu) of Jimma zone, Southwestern Ethiopia in the 2022/23 cropping season.
The experiment consisted of treatments: sole maize (T1), sole Lima bean (T2), Lima bean intra
row spaced at 35cm and intercropped with maize (T3), Lima bean intra-row spaced at 50cm and
intercropped with maize (T4), Lima bean intra-row spaced at 65cm and intercropped with maize
(T5). The analysis of variance showed that the effects of component population densities on
phenology of maize and Lima beans were statistically not significant (p>0.05) except only for
days to physiological maturity (P<0.05) at Dimtu site. Intercropping treatments showed
significant differences on yield performance of maize and lima bean. Among the intercropping
systems lima bean intra-row spaced at 65cm and intercropped with maize gave the highest
grain yield of maize (4.83 and 4.53 t ha-1), Land equivalent ratio (1.68 and 1.63), maize
equivalent yield (MEY: 7.95 and 8.0 t ha-1) and lima bean equivalent yield (LBEY: 4.40 and 4.3
t
ha-1) at Seka and Dimtu sites, respectively. The intercropping maize with lima bean was
advantageous than sole cropping of each crop. The findings showed that intercropping maize
and Lima beans provided more yield per unit area. Therefore, planting lima bean with a density
20,512ha-1 at spacing of 75*65cm could be recommended for intercropping with maize in the
target areas, spacing of 75*50cm also could be recommended as an option.
