Investigating maize-legume rotation and intercropping systems’ resilience to moisture stress in Zimbabwe

Abstract

As the effects of climate change are being experienced world over, there is need to engage in sustainable intensification cropping systems. Southern Africa has been experiencing low rainfall and dry spells. These have impacted smallholder farmers the most as they rely on rain fed agriculture. Intercropping and crop rotations are part of the sustainable intensification. These have enabled increased maize grain yield. This research looked at impacts of intercropping and rotations. The research was carried out at University of Zimbabwe (UZ) farm (17.73° S, 31.02 E) and Domboshava Training Centre (DTC) (17036’ S,31026 E) and research during the 2019/20 season. The experiment had five treatments (maize sole, maize pigeon pea intercropping, and maize after pigeon pea, maize cowpea intercropping and maize after cowpea). Water infiltration, soil biota, maize grain and stover yield data was collected. Partial land equivalent ratio was calculated using grain and stover yield. Analysis of variance was done using R version 3.6.0. Both maize grain and stover was significant at both sites. Site had a significant difference at (P<0.000), treat at (p<0.000), and sub treat at (p<0.000). Partial Land Equivalent ratio had a significant difference between site and sub treat (p<0.010) grain partial land equivalent ratio. Stover showed a significant difference on site at p<0.006) and on treatments (p<0.002). There was no significant difference in water infiltration in all treatments (p<0.27). On the soil macro organism, there was no significant difference except for site (p<0.008). The results showed that intercropping can increase grain and stover yields and also it is better to practise intercropping than sole crops as intercropping treatments had values more than 1. However, the results showed that infiltration as well as macro organism density was high in maize pigeon pea intercrops. What was the main recommendation? Keywords: Partial land equivalent ratio, Intercropping, Soil biota, Maize grain and stover yields, Water infiltration.