Evaluation of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) and Maize (Zea mays L.) Intercropping System for Profitability of the Crops in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Food shortage is known to have been caused by limiting factors such as inappropriate planting time, diseases and insect pests, use of low yielding varieties, etc in Ethiopia. In areas facing food insecurity, such as Africa, farmers have practiced intercropping since old times. The study was aimed to improve productivity and profitability of tomato/maize intercropping by determining their best compatible combination and right intercropping time for sustainable production of the crops in the area. Treatments consisted of factorial combinations of three component populations of tomato (T) and maize (M) i.e. (100T:50M, 67T:33M and 50T:50M) and five maize intercropping dates (30 DBTT, 15 DBTT, ATT, 15 DATT and 30 DATT) together with their respective sole crops and laid out as Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Determinate tomato and early maturing maize were used for the intercropping system. The highest total LER value of 2.06, with GMV of 171,077.73 Birr/ha and MA of 88,030.29 Birr/ha was obtained from component populations of 100T:50M. However, the highest GMV of 216,065.00 Birr/ha and MA of 144,044.00 Birr/ha was obtained from sole tomato crop. Although, sole tomato production would be beneficial in the study area,  the 100% tomato population with 50% maize by intercropping maize 15 days after transplanting of tomato is a promising treatment in order to minimize risks where farmers fear risk of sole crop due to disease or market conditions.

Keywords: Intercropping, maize, profitability, tomato