Effects of maize-legume intercrops on termite damage to maize, activity of predatory ants and maize yields in Uganda

Field experiments during two cropping seasons at Namulonge Agricultural Research Institute, Uganda assessed the effect of intercropping maize with soyabean, groundnut and common beans on termite damage to maize, activity of common predatory ants and maize yields. Intercropping caused a significant (P<0.01) reduction in termite attack, reduced loss in grain yield of maize and increased the nesting of predatory ants in maize fields. In many instances, termite attack was significantly lower (P = 0.05) in the maize-soyabean intercrop than in maize intercrops with groundnuts and beans. Species of the genera Myrmicaria and Lepisiota were the dominant ant predators recorded. The study revealed that soyabean and groundnut are more effective in suppressing termite attack than common beans, suggesting the necessity to identify suitable legumes for each cropping situation. Overall, intercropping might form a component of an integrated management strategy for termites in smallholder cropping systems in East Africa. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.