The Effect of Cropping Systems on component crop productivity and Land Resource Use

Abstract

Adoption of intercropping has the potential to make efficient use of scarce land resource in densely populated AEZs of western Kenya and provide both livestock feed and human food while ensuring climate resilience. Most studies have focused on one intercrop while in this study, we tested Maize-Desmodium intercrop with vegetables on system productivity and land equivalent ratio (LER). Field experiment was conducted during short rains of 2023 and long rains of 2024 in Maseno to determine the effect of integrating kales and African nightshade into Maize-Desmodium spp intercrop on productivity of component crops and LER. Treatments consisted of sole Maize, Desmodium, Kales and Nightshade and their intercropping components of Maize-Desmodium, Maize-Desmodium-kales, Maize-Desmodium-Nightshade, Kales-Desmodium and Nightshade-Desmodium, arranged in RCBD with three replications. Data was collected on plant yields and used to determine land equivalent ratio (LER) and analysed using R software and significant means separated using LSD0.05 Maize yields in all cropping systems were not statistically significant in both seasons although Maize-Desmodium-kales had a slightly higher yields than other cropping systems on both season. Nightshade and Kales had no significant effect on dry matter biomass yield. Sole Desmodium (2.84t/ha) and Kale-Desmodium (2.34t/ha) had a significantly higher dry matter yield during the short rains but during the long rains, sole Desmodium (2.69t/ha) had a significantly higher dry matter. The LER for Maize-Desmodiumnightshade (2.8 and 1.96) and Maize-Desmodium-kales (2.45 and 1.88) was significantly higher indicating positive complimentary interaction between the crops Intercropping Desmodium with maize and kales or nightshade increases maize yields. Additionally, intercropping of Desmodium with maize, kales or nightshade significantly improves the land use efficiency.