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Evaluating the effect of scattered Moringa stenopetala trees on yield of sorghum crop and soil physico-chemical properties in Derashe District, Southern Ethiopia
1 Arbaminch Agricultural Research Center, Ethopia.
2 Areka Agricultural Research Center, Ethopia
Research Article
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2022, 07(02), 532-541.
Article DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2022.7.2.0333
Publication history:
Received on 14 November 2022; revised on 23 December 2022; accepted on 26 December 2022
Abstract:
Moringa stenopetala is one of the world’s most useful plants; it is a fast-growing, much more drought-tolerant and multi-purpose tree. In Ethiopia it is a native tree in arid, semi-arid and semi-humid areas in the altitudinal ranged from 390 to 2200 m.a.s. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of M. stenopetala on intercropped sorghum yield and soil physicochemical properties. Six matured M. stenopetala trees found in 1 km2 area were selected for the experiment. Collected data were subjected to ANOVA using the GenStat software version 16. The sorghum grain yield in open area and tree canopy of zone C was significantly higher than the grain yield of zone A and zone B, respectively. There was no significant variation in the texture of the soil laterally and vertically but soil bulk density (BD) showed a significant variation (p<0.05) with increasing distance from tree trunk. The soil OM was higher outside the canopy of the adjacent open area than under the canopy and showed an increasing trend with increasing distance from the base of the tree towards the open field and decreased with depth (P<0.05). There was higher soil pH in the adjacent open area than tree canopy and increased with depth. The soil OM, TN, and OC were higher in open area than tree canopy and showed an increasing trend with increasing distance from the base of the tree towards the open field and decreased with depth (P<0.05). Available phosphorus was significantly higher under canopy of the tree than in the open areas. Higher benefit cost ratio (BCR) was recorded with treatment that integrates M. stenopetala with sorghum, thus it is a feasible option than sorghum mono-cropping to generate more income and other benefits derived from planted Moringa stenopetala trees.
Keywords:
Agroforestry; Benefit cost ratio; Intercropping; Scattered Moringa; Tree canopy
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