Effects of Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) Strip intercropping with Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) on Yield and Yield Advantages of the component Crops

Abstract

Intercropping has a number of advantages over mono-cropping production style which has significant problems and that there are a sufficient justification for studying intercropping approaches. Consequently, researchers have proposed a systematic intercropping approach to benefits from intercropping yield advantage, productivity of the component crops, economic return, yield stability, pest control, nutrient use efficiency etc. Because of these advantages, intercropping is practiced in many parts of the world, especially in the developing countries like Ethiopia.  A field experiment was conducted at Awada Agriculture Research Sub-center experimental site between 2012 and 2018/19 to evaluate the effect of strip intercropping ratios of coffee with pineapple on yield and yield components of both crops and to determine economically optimum coffee to Pineapple strip intercropping ratio for the study area. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Coffee variety (Fayate) and Smooth Cayenne Pineapple variety were used. The experiment was contained five treatments: sole coffee, sole Pineapple, 1C:1, 1:2, and 1:3ratio of coffee to pineapple. The over year mean result of coffee with pineapple strip intercropping indicates that, sole coffee (1608kg/ha) planted plots were statically higher than all other treatments. 1C:1P (1289kg/ha) was also significantly higher than 1C:2P (1128kg/ha) and 1C:3P (1148kg/ha) of coffee pineapple intercropping treatments. A LER of ranging from 1.23 up to 1.50 or relative yield advantage of 23% up to 50% was obtained from the coffee-Pineapple strip intercropping treatment. Therefore, this finding recommends that strip intercropping of coffee with Pineapple at 1:3 ratios is a viable option for sustainable productivity in yield and yield profit to farmers as revealed by the highest total LER.

Key words: - Coffee, Pineapple, LER, and Strip-intercropping