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Smallholder farmers in East-Africa commonly intercrop maize (Zea mays L.) with grain legumes to maximize utilisation of land and labour, and attain larger crop yields. Conventionally, one legume line is intercropped between each pair of maize lines. This study evaluated the potential of a modified two-bytwo staggered arrangement (MBILI) to increase crop yields and economic benefits in two sites in Central Kenya with contrasting soil fertility levels during 7 consecutive seasons. Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) were grown as legume intercrops. The MBILI system resulted in increased maize yields in both sites, and increased cowpea yields in the poor site. In the fertile site, using beans as an intercrop was most profitable, and the MBILI system increased net benefits by 40%, relative to the conventional system. In the poor site, groundnut and cowpea were better adapted, and the MBILI system increased net benefit by 12-37%. Positive effects of the MBILI system were most pronounced in the poor site, but occurred independent of soil fertility level. Rainfall amounts and distribution varied widely, but the MBILI system increased yields both under conditions of ample and inadequate rainfall. N balances were negative with beans and groundnut, but neutral with cowpea as the intercrop. A modest N fertilizer application is therefore essential to sustain yields in the long term, especially when beans or groundnuts are intercropped. In conclusion, the MBILI system, when combined with adjusted nutrient inputs, resulted in superior and robust improvements in crop yields and economic benefits, relative to the conventional intercropping system.

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Traditional farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa depend primarily on mining soil nutrients. The African green revolution aims to intensify agriculture through the dissemination of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM). This paper develops a robust and operational definition of ISFM based on detailed knowledge of African farming systems and their inherent variability and of the optimal use of nutrients. The authors define ISFM as a set of soil fertility management practices that necessarily include the use of fertilizer, organic inputs and improved germplasm, combined with the knowledge on how to adapt these practices to local conditions, aimed at maximizing agronomic use efficiency of the applied nutrients and improving crop productivity. All inputs need to be managed in accordance with sound agronomic principles. The integration of ISFM practices into farming systems is illustrated with the dual-purpose grain legume–maize rotations in the savannas and fertilizer micro-dosing in the Sahel. Finally, the dissemination of ISFM practices is discussed.

SUMMARYDeclining land productivity is a major problem facing smallholder farmers today in Sub-Saharan Africa, and as a result increase in maize grain yield has historically staggered behind yield gains that have been achieved elsewhere in the world. This decline primarily results from reduction in soil fertility caused by continuous cultivation without adequate addition of external nutrient inputs. Improved soil fertility management practices, which combine organic and mineral fertilizer inputs, can enable efficient use of inputs applied, and can increase overall system's productivity. The trials were established at two sites with different soil fertility status to determine the effects of various organic sources (Tithonia diversifolia, Mucuna pruriens, Calliandra calothyrsus and cattle manure) and their combinations with mineral fertilizer on maize grain yield, economic return and soil chemical properties. Drought spells were common during the peak water requirement periods, and during all the seasons most (90%) of the rainfall was received before 50% flowering. In good and poor sites, there was a significant (p < 0.001) effect of season on maize grain yield. Tithonia diversifolia recorded the highest (4.2 t ha −1 ) average maize grain yield in the poor site, while Calliandra calothyrsus gave the highest (4.8 t ha −1 ) average maize grain yield in the good site. Maize grain yields were lower in treatments with sole fertilizer compared with treatments that included organic fertilizers. The maize grain yields were higher with sole organics compared with treatments integrating organic and inorganic fertilizers. Soil pH increment was statistically significant in the sole manure treatment in good and poor sites (t-test, p = 0.036 and 0.013), respectively. In the poor site, magnesium increased significantly in the sole manure and manure + 30 kg N ha −1 treatments with t-test p = 0.006 and 0.027, respectively. Soil potassium was significant in the sole manure treatment (t-test, p = 0.03). Generally the economic returns were low, with negative net benefits and benefit cost ratio of less than 1. Inorganic fertilizer recorded the highest net benefit and return to labour (p < 0.001 and <0.01, respectively) in the good site. The treatments that had very high maize grain yields did not lead to improved soil fertility, thus there is need for tradeoffs between yield gains and soil fertility management when selecting agricultural production technologies.