Evaluating pearl millet and mungbean intercropping in the semi‐arid regions of Senegal

Abstract

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] yields in Senegal are constrained by rainfall variability, persistent drought, and low soil fertility. Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek], a short-duration and relatively drought-tolerant legume crop, is capable of improving soil fertility and productivity of associated crops. Our study evaluated the effects of pearl millet and mungbean intercropping on crop yields in the semi-arid regions of Senegal. Field experiments were conducted during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons at Bambey and Nioro sites located within Senegal's west-central and Saloum agricultural regions, respectively. Experimental treatments: monocropped millet (T 1), monocropped mungbean (T 2 , 100%), and 23% (T 3), 43% (T 4), 47% (T 5), 62% (T 6), 125% (T 7), and 164% (T 8) of mungbean intercropped with millet were laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated four times. In addition to yield, canopy cover and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were measured and yield advantage was assessed with the land equivalent ratio (LER). Combined millet and mungbean seed yields were up to 60 and 85% higher under intercropping systems compared to millet monocropping at Bambey and Nioro, respectively. Similarly, LER was always greater than unity (> 1) under millet-mungbean intercropping compared to millet monocropping. Mean canopy cover estimates and NDVI values increased by up to 60 and 30% in millet-mungbean intercropping over millet grown alone, respectively. These combined yield gains obtained without fertilizer applications suggested that optimizing mungbean density (62-125%) in pearl millet-based systems can increase the combined yields in a low-input and/or high-risk environment in Senegal.

Increasing crop diversity and yield of black rice through intercropping with mungbean at different row proportions on raised-beds

“…In relation to the LER values, it can be seen from Table 2 that different proportion of ricemungbean significantly affected LER values, in which the highest LER value was obtained in the RM-2:2 treatments with LER value of 1.27 or 127%. The significant effect of rice-mungbean proportions on LER values in this study is in line with the results reported by Diatta et al [11], in which the highest LER value was found on the treatment of intercropping pearl millet with higher proportions of mungbean population, i.e. 125% of mungbean plants in the intercropping system.…”

“…Diatta et al [11] also reported that from two year intercropping experiments with pearl millet and mungbean in the semi arid regions of Senegal it was found that combined pearl millet and mungbean grain yield were up to 85% higher in intercropping than in monocropping systems. They also reported that the combined grain yields and LER values were higher in the intercropping systems with higher IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1107/1/012012 5 proportions of mungbean population intercropped with the same population of pearl millet plants [11].…”

“…Diatta et al [11] also reported that from two year intercropping experiments with pearl millet and mungbean in the semi arid regions of Senegal it was found that combined pearl millet and mungbean grain yield were up to 85% higher in intercropping than in monocropping systems. They also reported that the combined grain yields and LER values were higher in the intercropping systems with higher IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1107/1/012012 5 proportions of mungbean population intercropped with the same population of pearl millet plants [11]. Wangiyana et al [16] also found that different varieties of mungbean grown together in pot culture with red rice had significant effects on panicle number, filled grain number and grain yield of black rice per pot, which means that intercropping mungbean with red rice has an effect on grain yield of red rice, especially under application of mycorrhiza biofertilizer.…”

“…However, the row proportions of rice and legume crops applied so far was two rows of rice interspersed with one row of a legume crop. Diatta et al [11] reported that grain yields of pearl millet were higher under intercropping with higher proportions of mungbean population intercropped in an additive series with the same population of pearl millet. Intercropping black rice plants grown on raised-beds with peanut under the proportion of two rows by two rows in a replacement series was also found to be able to increase grain yield of the black rice per clump, especially under application of mycorrhiza biofertilizer [12].…”

Dual‐purpose crops for grain and fodder to improve nutrition security in semi‐arid sub‐Saharan Africa: A review

“…However, the literature is much more extensive concerning the TV that are primarily intended for grain production but often utilized as DP (Valbuena et al, 2012). The average grain yield reported for TV is low and ranges from 114 kg ha −1 (Siébou et al, 2019) to 2600 kg ha −1 (Diatta et al, 2020). The fodder yield ranged from 250 kg ha −1 (Siébou et al, 2019) to 4100 kg ha −1 (Watanabe et al, 2019).…”