Effect of Legume-Finger Millet Intercropping on Finger Millet Productivity and Soil Organic Carbon Stocks
Abstract
The soils in the semi-arid areas of eastern Uganda are mainly ferralsols and plinthosols, characterised by low soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil fertility. On-farm experiments were therefore conducted in Kumi and Amuria districts in the parishes of Olupe and Kuju, respectively, in eastern Uganda. To assess the effect of finger millet legume integration options on finger millet productivity and soil organic carbon stocks. One farmer household with fields having ferralsols and plinthosols was purposively selected from each parish to host the experiment. The study adopted a factorial experiment, where two finger millet varieties (Seremi II, and NARO MIL 3) were the main plot, three legumes (groundnuts, green gram, and cowpeas) constituted the subplot, and one planting pattern (one row of legume and two rows of finger millet) made the sub-sub plot treatment, totaling eleven treatments. The experiment was laid down in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. Three experimental seasons (2021 B, 2022 A, and 2022B) were conducted. Soil and crop data were collected and analysed using GenStat and Minitab 14th editions. Results revealed that intercropping finger millet (NARO MIL 3 and SEREMI II) with cowpea recorded the highest yield returns (2617 and 2387) kg ha-1, respectively, land equivalent ratio of 1.8 and 1.2, respectively, and SOC of 0.310 t ha-1 yr-1. It was therefore concluded that intercropping finger millet with cowpea at a 1x2 planting arrangement improves finger millet yield and SOC stocks in ferralsols and plinthosols.
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References
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Copyright (c) 2025 Joseph Ekwangu, PhD, Twaha Ali Basamba Ateenyi, PhD, Susan Balaba Tumwebaze, PhD, Wilber Wambi, Ivan Abaho, PhD, Godfrey Otim Anyoni, PhD
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