Maize and sesbania production in relay cropping at three landscape positions in Malawi

Phiri, A.D.K. and Snapp, S and Kanyama-Phiri, G Y (1999) Maize and sesbania production in relay cropping at three landscape positions in Malawi. Agroforestry Systems, 47 (3). pp. 153-162. ISSN 0167-4366

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Abstract

The relay cropping of sesbania (Sesbania sesban) — a N2-fixing legume — with maize (Zea mays) has been proposed as a strategy to increase soil fertility and food production in densely populated areas in southern Africa. We determined the production of relay-cropped maize and sesbania at three landscape positions under researcher-designed and farmer-managed conditions in southern Malawi. Three landscape positions (dambo valley or bottomland, dambo margin with < 12% slope, and steep slopes with > 12% slope) were examined in factorial combination with N sources for maize (no added N, relay-cropped sesbania, and calcium ammonium nitrate fertilizer). Relay cropping of sesbania with maize increased maize grain yield, as compared to unfertilized sole maize in two of three years. Split application of 96 kg N ha−1 as N fertilizer, however, was more effective than sesbania in increasing maize yields. Survival of sesbania seedlings and biomass production of sesbania were greater in the dambo valley and dambo margin than on steep slopes. Maize yields tended to be lower on steep slopes than in the dambo valley and dambo margin areas. Biomass production of sesbania and hence the potential benefits of intercropping sesbania with maize appear greater in the dambo valleys and dambo margins than on steep slopes

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	UNSPECIFIED
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	improved fallow, nitrogen fertilizer, relay intercrop, Sesbania sesban, soil fertility, replenishment
Subjects:	Others > Maize
Depositing User:	Ms K Syamalamba
Date Deposited:	24 Jan 2013 09:17
Last Modified:	07 Feb 2014 06:27
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/6462
Official URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1006263312685
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	Rockefeller Foundation
Acknowledgement:	UNSPECIFIED
Links:	Google Scholar

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