Abstract:
Alternative sustainable agriculture under the pressing impacts of climate variability on crop
production is a primary concern in the Ethiopian development agenda towards sustained food security.
Use of integrated crop management through climate resilient cultural practices that target diversity of
produce, yield stability, losses due to pests, and reduction in economic and environmental risks is an
appropriate strategy for sustainability of agricultural production. Field studies were conducted in
Hararghe highlands, specifically at Haramaya during the 2012 and 2013 and at Arbarakate in the 2013
main cropping seasons to assess effects of integrated climate change resilient cultural practices on faba
bean productivity. Three on-farm-based climate change resilient cultural practices: intercropping,
compost application and furrow planting alone and in integration with the other practices were
evaluated using Dagaga and Bulga-70 faba bean varieties and Melkassa-IV maize variety. The results
showed that furrow planting with compost application in row intercropping increased soil moisture by
up to 3.23% and cooled the soil temperature by up to 1.06
o
C compared to sole cropping at Haramaya
in 2013. Furrow planting with application of compost led to production of the highest (3.47 t ha
-1
in
2012 and 4.25 t ha
-1
in 2013) faba bean grain yields at Haramaya. The same treatme nt at Arbarakate
produced the maximum (5.29 t ha
-1
) faba bean grain yield in 2013. This was closely followed by the
yield obtained in response to the application of compost at both locations in 2013 and by the yield
obtained in response to furrow and sole cropping at Haramaya in 2012. Compost fertilization with or
without furrow planting led to the production of consistently heavier grains. The total Land Equivalent
Ratio (1.01 to 1.76) indicated a higher grain yield advantages of faba bean-maize intercropping over sole
faba bean cropping at both locations over the two years. The overall results demonstrated that
integrated climate resilient cultural practices significantly increased productivity of the crop as a result
of enhancing contents of soil nutrients, soil moisture, soil organic carbon, and regulating soil and canopy
temperatures as well as through buffering the root environment.
