Productivity of Newly Released Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Varieties Under Sole Cropping and Intercropping With Maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

Intercropping maize (Zea mays L.) with common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the predominant farming practices in eastern and southern Africa (ESA) for effective use of resources and continuous household food supply. The productivity of sole or intercropped crops is subject to variety, location, year, and their interaction. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the productivity of newly released common bean varieties NUA45 and SER83 under sole cropping and intercropping with a maize hybrid variety SC672 as a guide to large-scale production. Experiments were conducted at Chitedze Agricultural Research Station (13.85°S; 33.38°E) and Linthipe Extension Planning Area (12.06°S; 33.25°E) in 2019 and 2020 in Malawi using a factorial arrangement laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. The numbers of pods per plant (NPP) and seeds per pod (NSP), grain yield (GYD), and 100-seed weight were collected for common bean included, while GYD was recorded for maize. The main effects for genotype, location, year, and intercropping system were significant (p < 0.05) for GYD in common bean. The effects of the year and cropping system and location by intercropping system interaction were significant for maize GYD. The maize yield did not vary between sole cropped and intercropped systems. The total land equivalent ratios (LERs) for NUA45 and SER83 were 1.59 and 1.77, respectively. The LER-values showed a significant difference (p < 0.034), suggesting a considerably higher benefit of maize and common bean intercropping. Overall, intercropping maize with common bean rendered higher yields in the SER83/SC672 intercropping system than the sole crop in the study areas. Therefore, intra-row intercropping of the newly released common bean variety SER83 with a maize hybrid variety SC672 is recommended in the study area and other similar agro-ecologies for stable and sustainable production of both crops.

Effect of combining organic manure and inorganic fertilisers on maize–bush bean intercropping

“…A systematic review by Karavidas et al (2022) established that most bean yield studies focused on breeding, irrigation and rhizobia treatment with effects of fertilisation (mostly inorganic fertilisers) and intercropping accounted for in 11 and 5% of the 250 sources reviewed, respectively. Most bean-maize intercrops are with climbing beans due to their canopy advantage, but a recent study by Nkhata et al (2021) in Malawi found higher intercropping efficiencies for dwarf bean genotypes.…”

Relay intercropping of maize with common dry beans to rationalize nitrogen fertilizer

“…Biological fixation of atmospheric-N can replace N-fertilizer wholly or in part (Dwivedi et al, 2015;Massawe et al, 2016), increased cereal yield and NUF (Latati et al, 2016;Chen et al, 2017). Intercropping maize with common beans rendered higher yields in intercropping system than the sole crop (Nkhata et al, 2021). Intercrops produced 33% more gross incomes, whilst using 23% less land by increased land equivalent ratios (LER) (Alemayehu et al, 2017(Alemayehu et al, , 2018Nassary et al, 2020;Bitew et al, 2021).…”

Are common bean traders efficient? An empirical evidence from Malawi

“…Although the world has reported a general upward trend in bean production, it is noteworthy that some areas of the world such as eastern and southern Africa have experienced fluctuations in bean production over the years. These fluctuations have been attributed to extreme weather, infestation of pests, lack of institutional support and poor linkages to bean markets (Farrow and Muthoni-Andriatsitohaina, 2020; Nkhata et al, 2021; Tebeka et al, 2017). These drawbacks have frustrated efforts to develop the bean subsector to a point where production is sometimes unable to meet local and international demand.…”

“…Further, the crop is convenient for small-scale, resource-poor producers due to its ability to use less labour and land resources during production. For instance, in Africa, the crop is usually grown in intercropped cropping patterns (Latati et al, 2016 as cited in Nkhata et al, 2021). Their production can, therefore, strive in areas with limited land resources.…”

“…Recently, Malawi produced a yearly average of 152,000 tons of bean, harvested over approximately 350, 000 ha of land translating to a national average grain yield of 500 kg/ha (FAO, 2018). In 2010, Malawi bean production was over 228, 880 2010 ha (CIAT et al, 2013) with an annual mean yield of 106,219 tons in 2010 (Nkhata et al, 2021). The majority of bean producers in Malawi are smallholder farmers who grow the crop in cereal–legume intercropping or mixed cropping systems (Birachi, 2012).…”