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LEGUME-MAIZE ROTATION OR RELAY? OPTIONS FOR ECOLOGICAL INTENSIFICATION OF SMALLHOLDER FARMS IN THE GUINEA SAVANNA OF
M Kermah1, A C Franke2, B D K Ahiabor3
1Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Experimental Agriculture
|December 21, 2020
Summary
Diversifying maize with legumes in West Africa
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Agronomy
- Soil Science
Background:
- Maize-grain legume intercropping and rotations are crucial for enhancing crop yields and soil fertility in the Guinea savanna.
- Poor soil fertility and erratic rainfall in West Africa's Guinea savanna lead to low crop yields and crop failure.
- Biological nitrogen (N2)-fixation by legumes can improve soil fertility and mitigate risks in maize-based systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate maize-grain legume diversification and intensification options for improved crop productivity and soil fertility.
- To assess the impact of different relay cropping patterns and rotations on maize and legume yields.
- To compare these systems across varying soil fertility levels in the southern and northern Guinea savanna of Ghana.
Main Methods:
- Four relay patterns with cowpea sown first, and two with maize sown first, were tested.
- These were compared against groundnut-maize, soybean-maize, fallow-maize, and continuous maize rotations.
- Experiments were conducted in fields with high, medium, and poor fertility in the southern and northern Guinea savanna.
Main Results:
- Crop yields decreased with declining soil fertility, with higher yields in the southern Guinea savanna.
- Relay intercropping spatial arrangements did not significantly impact grain yields.
- Groundnut and soybean rotations increased subsequent maize yields compared to continuous and relay maize.
Conclusions:
- Sowing maize first followed by a cowpea relay is a promising ecological intensification strategy.
- Legume-maize rotations, particularly with soybean, significantly enhanced maize yields.
- Diversification with legumes offers a viable approach to increase productivity and soil health in the Guinea savanna.
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