Intercropping Maize with Climbing Beans, Cowpeas and Velvet Beans

Abstract

AbstractWhen one of the crops is a legume, intercropping has potential to reduce fertilizer nitrogen (N) needs and increase food quality. Total dry matter (DM) and grain yields of different plant populations of intercropped maize (Zea mays L.) and climbing beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.), or velvet beans (Mucuna pruriens [L.] DC. var utilis [Wight] Bruck.) were compared in two experiments. Maize populations were 40,400 and 50,500 plants ha−1 in combination with climbing bean populations of 0, 20,200, 40,400 and 80,800 plants ha−1 in Experiment 1. In the second experiment, climbing beans, cowpeas and velvet beans at 215,200 plants ha−1 were intercropped with maize at 64,600 plants ha−1. Climbing beans contributed up to 5% to total DM yields in the first experiment. In the second experiment legume contributions to total DM were 20% for climbing beans, 12% for cowpeas and 8% for velvet beans. Increasing populations of maize and climbing beans increased grain and DM yields. Dry matter yield of maize was lowered by intercropping. However, DM yields of the intercrop were not different to maize sole cropped. Maize/cowpeas produced more total DM than maize/climbing beans. Cowpeas increased the total yield of crude protein by over 15% without lowering total DM yield of the intercrop compared to maize alone and are promising as a legume for intercropping with maize. Climbing beans show little promise as a possible legume for intercropping with maize.