Potential of feed-food double-cropping in central highlands of Ethiopia

The potential of feed-food double-cropping was evaluated at Ginchi, Ethiopia, for two years with the objective of evaluating herbage yields of fodder crops and the subsequent effects on grain yields of chickpea and grass pea. Early maturing oat (79Ab382 (TX) (80SA95); 79CP84 (Coker SR. res) 80SA130; SRCP X 80Ab2806; C7512/SRCP X 80Ab 2252 and CO X SRCP X 80Ab2291) and common vetch (Acc. No. 2490; Acc. No. 2742) were selected and planted on lands reserved for chickpea/grass pea at the start of the main rainy season. Following forage harvest, chickpea and grass pea were planted on all plots and control fallow plot (farmers’ practice). A randomized complete block design with three replicates was used. Vigor (potential growth), plant height, herbage yield of forage crops, and grain yields of chickpea and grass pea varied across years. Higher average herbage yield (3.36 t ha–1) was obtained from oat–common vetch mixtures compared to a fallow system (1.11 t ha–1). Moreover, grain yields of chickpea and grass pe...