Mixed Cropping effects Faba Bean and Field Pea on Disease Development and Yield

Abstract

Faba bean and field pea are important food legumes grown in the highlands of Ethiopia (Hailu et al. 1994). In many places of the
country, these species are grown in mixed cropping for weed suppression and physical support of field pea by faba bean, although themixing proportion are not known (Amare 1994, 1996; IAR 1996a; 1996b)There are obvious advantages of mixed cropping
which include, utilization of natural resources viz. space, light, and moisture and suppression of pest problems viz. disease, insect, and weeds (Amare 1996; Beets 1982; Trenbath 1976). In many instances, especially air-borne diseases are suppressed by growing a mixture of wo species (Beets, 1982). The principle is that spores leaving the parent infections are distributed over two host components, where some of these spores land on non-host species which select against incoming inocula (Beets 1982; Trenbath
1976; Zadoks & Schein 1979), thus serving as a buffer crop. On the other hand, mixed cropping can also enhance some diseases so that the practice becomes disadvantageous (Willey 1979).