Mixed cropping experiments with maize and groundnuts.

Abstract

Experiments were carried out during 3 seasons in the Yaounde area, Cameroon, in order to evaluate maize/groundnut mixtures compared with pure stands. Both crops had similar growth duration. Total grain/seed yields of both crops combined were lower for mixtures than for pure maize, but mixtures were found to be advantageous over pure stands in terms of relative yield total (RYT): in the Sept.-Dec. season of 1975 an av. of 6% more area would have been needed in pure stands to attain the same yield of each sp. as in the mixtures. In the March-July season of 1976 this was 16%. The results are discussed in terms of limiting factors. Results of a 3rd experiment suggest that the mixtures reduce the risk of supra-opt. population density compared with pure maize under severely limiting N availability. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)