Performance of food–feed maize and cowpea cultivars under monoculture and intercropping systems: Grain yield, fodder biomass, and nutritive value

Abstract

Livestock feeding in Burkina Faso is characterized by a recurrent deficit in both the quality and the quantity of fodder during the dry season, which affects animal performance. To overcome this, quality fodder/forage production is an alternative. Therefore, this study evaluated food- and feed-improved cultivars of maize and cowpea in intercropping trials using the “mother and baby trials” approach with crop–livestock farmers. The mother trial comprised a randomized block design with eight treatments and four replicates: two cowpea (KVx745-11P and Tiligré) and two maize cultivars (Barka and Espoir), and grown under two cropping systems (monoculture and intercropping). Baby trials were established on-farm and involved 30 farmers during two seasons (2019 and 2020) in four villages in the South Sudan zone of Burkina Faso. Data were collected on (1) weed density and biomass, (2) grain yield and fodder biomass, (3) intercropping efficiency, and (4) fodder nutritive value. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and the least significant difference (LSD) means separation at a 5% threshold. The results revealed that maize and cowpea intercropping significantly reduced weed biomass (p ≤ 0.05). In monoculture, the maize cultivar Barka produced a greater grain yield (4980 kg/ha) and fodder biomass [6259 kg dry matter (DM)/ha] than the cultivar Espoir, which produced a grain yield of 2581 kg/ha and fodder biomass of 4952 kg DM/ha. The cowpea cultivars, KVx745-11P and Tiligré, were similar (p ≥ 0.05) in terms of fodder biomass (2435–2820 kg DM/ha) and grain yield (1152–1163 kg/ha). For the intercropping system, land equivalent ratios for fodder biomass (1.18:1.41) and grain yield (1.02:1.44) were greater than 1; intercropping also had better productivity system indexes than the monoculture cropping system. The crude protein concentration of fodder was greater for Barka maize (9.5%–9.8%) than for Espoir maize (8.5%–8.7%). The crude protein concentration was greater for cowpea KVx745-11P (19%–21.8%) than for cowpea Tiligré (15%–17%). Intercropping both Barka maize and cowpea KVx745-11P was the most productive cropping system for maximizing grain and fodder production for crop–livestock farmers in the South Sudan zone of Burkina Faso.

Dual-purpose crops productivity and small-scale dairy farmers’ food security efforts toward climate variability and change in Benin

“…Also, this dual-purposes cropping system improves soil fertility and helps control weeds and climatic hazards (Konlan et al, 2018). The groundnut-corn cropping association constitute a key to strengthening the resilience of smallscale dairy farmers to climate variability and the adverse impacts of environmental conditions (Sanfo et al, 2023). In West Africa, several studies have allowed the selection of improved dual-purpose varieties of graminaceous and leguminous plants with good fodder and grain performance (Sanginga et al, 2003;Hassan et al, 2015 ;Ouattara et al, 2015).…”

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walpers] intercropping improves grain yield, fodder biomass, and nutritive value

“…Cereal and legume intercropping is more suitable for agropastoralists and sedentary crop-livestock farmers because of this dual need for food and feed for human beings and livestock, respectively (Nasir et al, 2019). The use of improved food-feed cultivars, which can fit into smallholder farmer's cropping calendar, is likely to provide greater benefits both for grains and fodder biomass (Mbaye et al, 2014;Louarn et al, 2016;Abera et al, 2021;Sanfo et al, 2023). Previous studies revealed that intercrop of maize-cowpea-sorghum-cowpea led to an increase in grain yield and fodder biomass in the range of 30-60% with better weed control (Matusso et al, 2014;Obulbiga et al, 2015;Coulibaly et al, 2017;Sanfo et al, 2023), and land equivalent rations were greater in cowpea-maize intercropping systems (Sanfo et al, 2023).…”

“…The use of improved food-feed cultivars, which can fit into smallholder farmer's cropping calendar, is likely to provide greater benefits both for grains and fodder biomass (Mbaye et al, 2014;Louarn et al, 2016;Abera et al, 2021;Sanfo et al, 2023). Previous studies revealed that intercrop of maize-cowpea-sorghum-cowpea led to an increase in grain yield and fodder biomass in the range of 30-60% with better weed control (Matusso et al, 2014;Obulbiga et al, 2015;Coulibaly et al, 2017;Sanfo et al, 2023), and land equivalent rations were greater in cowpea-maize intercropping systems (Sanfo et al, 2023). Considering the multiple benefits of using improved cultivars and appropriate cropping systems, we hypothesized that intercropping of best-bet sorghum and cowpea cultivars will provide greater grain yield and fodder biomass as well as quality fodder in smallholder farming systems in Burkina Faso.…”