Abstract

Climate change has an impact on the common bean productivity and its negative effect has to be mitigated using alternative resilience strategies. Field experiments were conducted in 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons at Babile and Haramaya research stations, eastern Ethiopia, to assess the effects of climate change resilience strategies on yield and yield components of common bean. The results of the study revealed that row intercropping + compost application + furrow planting and row intercropping + compost application have increased yield and yield components of common bean and reduced climate change variables. There was a decreasing trend in yield and yield components from the most integrated climate change resilience strategies to the less integrated and sole planting of common bean.  Row  intercropping  +  compost  application  increased  the  mean number of pods per plant significantly by 40% during 2012 and by 25.9% during 2013 cropping season compared to sole planting at Babile. Compost application + furrow planting increased the average yield of common bean by 20% during 2012 compared to sole planting at Babile. The results obtained from this study indicated the climate change resilience strategies were responsible for increment of yield and yield components of common bean in eastern Ethiopia and in areas with similar agro-ecological conditions.

Key words: Compost application, furrow planting, row intercropping, soil temperature.