Effects of farmyard manure and Desmodium intercropping on forage grass growth, yield, and soil properties in different agro-ecologies of Upper Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia

Abstract

AbstractEnhancing forage production through organic fertilization is an important option for smallholder farmers. In north-western Ethiopia, a field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of farmyard manure (FYM) and Desmodium intortum intercropping on the morphological characteristics, dry matter yield, and crude protein yield of Napier and desho grass, as well as their effects on soil physicochemical properties. The experiment was carried out in three replications using randomized complete block design with factorial arrangements at the Aba Gerima and Guder watersheds, which represent midland and highland agro-ecologies, respectively. The treatments used were Napier or desho grass alone [control], Napier or desho with Desmodium, Napier or desho with FYM, and Napier or desho combined with Desmodium and FYM. The results showed that fertilizer treatments had positive influence on morphological characteristics in both watersheds. The dry matter yield and crude protein yield were higher (p < 0.001) with FYM as well as FYM combined with Desmodium (9.1 to 9.6 t ha⁻1 and 866.7 to 792.4 kg ha⁻1) at Aba Gerima and (7.0 to 7.1 t ha⁻1 and 795.3 to 510.5 kg ha⁻1) at Guder, respectively. The fertilizer treatments, that is, FYM and combined use of FYM and Desmodium groups, showed soil organic carbon (18.4% and 20.5%) and available phosphorous (16.3% and 23.0%) content increments over the control at the Aba Gerima watershed. The findings suggested that applying FYM and combining FYM and Desmodium improved forage grass growth and yield by maintaining soil health in the dryland areas of Ethiopia’s Upper Blue Nile basin.

Keywords

• Desmodium intortum
• dryland
• dry matter yield
• farmyard manure
• fertilizer treatments
• forage grasses