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Productivity or stability? Exploring maize-legume intercropping strategies for smallholder Conservation Agriculture farmers in Zimbabwe

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  • Madembo, Connie
  • Mhlanga, Blessing
  • Thierfelder, Christian

Abstract

Increasing threats of climate change and soil fertility decline enhance the risk of crop failure for smallholder farmers in southern Africa. The quest is to find cropping systems that provide yield stability while being sustainable. One of the strategies to use is intercropping legumes in maize-based Conservation Agriculture systems. Here, we present results of a three-year study in on-farm and on-station trials of Zimbabwe. We tested sole cropping compared to intercropping with different grain legumes and green manures as well as fertilizer application (in the case of on-station trials) on associated crop yields, total system yield, and yield stability. As methods, we used mixed modelling, best linear unbiased predictors estimation and additive main effects and multiplicative interaction analysis to analyse the data. The results show that intercropping systems with the selected legumes resulted in yield penalties. However, on-station sites showed maize/pigeonpea intercropping to be comparable to the sole maize in maize grain and biomass yield and to be superior in total system yield (108 GJ ha−1 vs. 74 GJ ha−1). Comparison of intercropping against sole cropping revealed that sole maize out-yielded all intercropping strategies in all environments on-farm while the maize/pigeon intercropping strategy out-yielded sole maize in almost all environments on-station. In general, total system yield of intercrops out-yielded sole maize in most environments signifying the ability of intercrops to enhance cropping system yields. Stability analysis on-farm showed that intercropping with cowpea and jack bean was more stable compared to sole maize as a result of better systems performance across the environments. On-station, the maize/pigeonpea intercropping strategy was in general the most stable. We conclude that intercropping is a viable option for smallholder farmers. However, there is need to investigate other crop arrangements to reduce competition for both maize and the intercrop and double-row strip cropping may be an option.

Suggested Citation

  • Madembo, Connie & Mhlanga, Blessing & Thierfelder, Christian, 2020. "Productivity or stability? Exploring maize-legume intercropping strategies for smallholder Conservation Agriculture farmers in Zimbabwe," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:185:y:2020:i:c:s0308521x20307824
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102921
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    1. Smith, Alex & Snapp, Sieglinde & Dimes, John & Gwenambira, Chiwimbo & Chikowo, Regis, 2016. "Doubled-up legume rotations improve soil fertility and maintain productivity under variable conditions in maize-based cropping systems in Malawi," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 139-149.
    2. Dubis, Bogdan & Jankowski, Krzysztof Józef & Sokólski, Mateusz Mikołaj & Załuski, Dariusz & Bórawski, Piotr & Szempliński, Władysław, 2020. "Biomass yield and energy balance of fodder galega in different production technologies: An 11-year field experiment in a large-area farm in Poland," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 813-825.
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    2. Tarirai Muoni & Blessing Mhlanga & Ingrid Öborn & Christian Thierfelder, 2024. "Management of maize-legume conservation agriculture systems rather than varietal choice fosters human nutrition in Malawi," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 16(5), pages 1067-1080, October.
    3. Xin, Wang & Yanping, Song & Tan, Li, 2021. "Small farmer's planting confidence and willingness to pay for leguminous green fertilizer: environmental attributes perspective," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 25(1), August.
    4. Wang, Maojian & Shi, Wei & Kamran, Muhammad & Chang, Shenghua & Jia, Qianmin & Hou, Fujiang, 2024. "Effects of intercropping and regulated deficit irrigation on the yield, water and land resource utilization, and economic benefits of forage maize in arid region of Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    5. Kinyua, M.W. & Kihara, J. & Bekunda, M. & Bolo, P. & Mairura, F.S. & Fischer, G. & Mucheru-Muna, M.W., 2023. "Agronomic and economic performance of legume-legume and cereal-legume intercropping systems in Northern Tanzania," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    6. Raymond Mugandani & Liboster Mwadzingeni & Paramu Mafongoya, 2021. "Contribution of Conservation Agriculture to Soil Security," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-11, September.
    7. Qinqin Xu & Kangning Xiong & Yongkuan Chi & Shuzhen Song, 2021. "Effects of Crop and Grass Intercropping on the Soil Environment in the Karst Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-14, May.
    8. Herdis Herdiansyah & Ernoiz Antriyandarti & Amrina Rosyada & Nor Isnaeni Dwi Arista & Tri Edhi Budhi Soesilo & Ninin Ernawati, 2023. "Evaluation of Conventional and Mechanization Methods towards Precision Agriculture in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-21, June.
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    10. Mohamed Lazali & Simon Boudsocq & Elisa Taschen & Mohamed Farissi & Wissem Hamdi & Parthenopi Ralli & Hervé Sentenac, 2021. "CROSYMED Project: Enhancing Nutrient Use Efficiency through Legumes in Agroecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-10, April.

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