INTEGRATION OF FORAGE AND FOOD CROPS GROWN SEQUENTIALLY ON VERTISOLS UNDER RAIN-FED CONDITIONS IN THE MIDALTITUDE ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS

Poor drainage of Vertisols in the Ethiopian mid-altitude highlands lim its farming operations and cropping in the early rainy season (July-Au gust). Traditional crops are grown on residual moisture late in the se ason (September-January) when waterlogging is less of a problem. Produ ctivity is therefore below its potential. The recent introduction of a broadbed and furrow system for improved drainage on Vertisols allows full use of the growing period and provides scope for a wider variety of cropping systems and increased productivity. Trials using a sequent ial cropping system demonstrated that two crops a year can be grown wh en Vertisols are drained. The crops used in the trial were oats or an oat/vetch mixture forage in the early season followed by grasspea or c hickpea food crops in the late season as the second crop. Further on-f arm research on sequential cropping of forages and food crops in the m id-altitude highlands of Ethiopia is now needed.