期刊
AFRICAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
卷 6, 期 24, 页码 5405-5413出版社
ACADEMIC JOURNALS
DOI: 10.5897/AJAR11.507
关键词
Maize; mucuna; smallholder farms; strip-intercropping; sunnhemp
资金
- Govan Mbeki Research and Development Centre (GMRDC), University of Fort Hare
Use of legume cover crops has been reported to improve maize productivity through various mechanisms that include improved soil mineral N supply and weed control. However, in the smallholder irrigation farming sector, where maize is the staple crop, strategies for intercropping summer legume cover crops are often a challenge for farmers. Field experiments were conducted in a warm-temperate region of South Africa during the summer season of 2007/08 and 2008/09 to investigate the effects of strip intercropping patterns (3:2; 4: 2 and 6:2 patterns) on the productivity of maize (cv. PAN 6479) together with mucuna or sunnhemp. The strip-intercrop patterns did not result in improved soil mineral N or weed control. Maize yields from rows adjacent to the cover crop strips were significantly (P < 0.01) lower than other rows. The 3:2 strip intercropping pattern slightly depressed yields; however, yield reduction was more pronounced in the 1st season where water stress was experienced with maize partial land equivalent ratios (PLER) of 0.55 and 0.98 in the 2007/08 and 2008/09 seasons respectively. A long winter fallow period reduced the positive impact of legume cover crops on soil mineral N and weed control benefits, resulting in no observable yield increase in a subsequent maize crop. Summer legume cover crops may enhance productivity of winter food/cash crops; however, this requires further investigation.
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