Legume-maize rotation effect on maize productivity and soil fertility parameters under selected agronomic practices in a sandy loam soil

Abstract

Inclusion of legumes in cropping systems is essential for sustainable management of farming systems and reducing the nitrogen (N) fertilizer requirement for maize production. The study evaluated the effect of growing legumes (soybean, cowpea and velvet bean) and maize the same year in rotation, on maize yield and soil fertility indices. The agronomic practices implemented were residue management (residue added and residue removed) and fertilizer N application (0 kg N ha −1 and 60 kg N ha −1 ) under four rotation systems. The result showed that growing velvet bean the same year in rotation with maize was effective in increasing maize yield and improving some soil fertility indices over growing maize after maize the same year in the same location. Compared to maize monocropping, over 100% increase in maize yield was obtained with velvet bean-maize rotation even in absence of residue incorporation. In addition, velvet bean-maize rotation increased maize yield over cowpea- and soybean- maize rotations. The rotation effect occurred as a result of improvement in soil nitrogen, avail phosphorus (P), exchangeable magnesium (exch Mg) and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC). Grain legumes-maize rotations equally increased maize yield over sole maize. Generally legume-maize rotations increased total N, avail P, exch K, Mg and effective cation exchange capacity over sole maize. Crop residue incorporation and N fertilizer application significantly improved soil N and maize grain yield (0.18%, 2.74 tha −1 in 2008; 0.22%, 1.16 tha −1 in 2009 and 0.19%, 2.72 tha −1 in 2008; 1.35 tha −1 in 2009 respectively) over non-residue incorporation (0.16% and 1.84 tha −1 in 2008, 0.66 tha −1 in 2009) and zero N application (0.16% and 1.83 tha −1 in 2008 and 0.17% and 0.85 tha −1 in 2009). Therefore, velvet bean could be planted the same season with subsequent maize in rotation cropping for intensive sustainable maize production in sandy-loam soils without fertilizer N. For grain legumes such as soybean and cowpea to be effective in rotation cropping with maize, the grain legumes have to be planted early before the full set of rain because excess rain would affect their growth and development.

Allelopathic Activity of Spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) and Peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) Reduces Yield, Growth, and Photosynthetic Rate in a Succeeding Crop of Maize (Zea mays L.)

“…In order to have positive effects on crop production it is necessary to properly design the crop rotation systems following basic principles and rules [1]. For example, the inclusion of legumes such as cowpea, faba bean, pea, and soybean in crop rotation systems improves soil fertility [2][3][4][5] and increases crop yields [4,6], while it also reduces the need for application of nitrogen fertilizers on successive crops [3,7].…”

Evaluating the Benefits of Implementing Soy-Maize Crop Rotations in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Maize is an important staple crop and is widely cultivated in many regions of SSA (Badu-Apraku and Fakorede, 2017;Ekpa et al, 2018). The combination of legume and cereal crops creates a stable system that can help protect soil fertility and reduce abiotic and biotic pressures, while also producing high yields (Agyare et al, 2006;Nyagumbo et al, 2016;Franke et al, 2018;Uzoh et al, 2019). Indeed, yields in maize are higher when subsequently planted after soybean when compared to continuous cereal cultivation (Agyare et al, 2006;Nyagumbo et al, 2016;Frank et al, 2018;Uzoh et al, 2019).…”

“…The combination of legume and cereal crops creates a stable system that can help protect soil fertility and reduce abiotic and biotic pressures, while also producing high yields (Agyare et al, 2006;Nyagumbo et al, 2016;Franke et al, 2018;Uzoh et al, 2019). Indeed, yields in maize are higher when subsequently planted after soybean when compared to continuous cereal cultivation (Agyare et al, 2006;Nyagumbo et al, 2016;Frank et al, 2018;Uzoh et al, 2019). Additionally, soy-maize rotations have been very successful in other tropical parts of the world, offering great promise to intensify agricultural production in SSA (Oliveira Duarte et al, 2007;Duarte and Kappes, 2015;Goldsmith and Montesdeoca, 2018;Adie and Krisnawati, 2018).…”

“…Several agronomic benefits are associated with the use of soy-maize rotations in the tropics, including increased soil fertility, decreased biotic pressure, and increased maize and soy yields (Agyare et al, 2006;Frank et al, 2018;Uzoh et al, 2019). Indeed, soy-maize rotations are a widely accepted system to improve crop productivity, increasing SSA cereal yields by an average of 0.49 tons/hectare or more in fields planted after a legume when compared to cereals in continuous cultivation (Baijukya et al, 2016;One Acre Fund, 2016;Franke et al, 2018).…”

“…Indeed, soy-maize rotations are a widely accepted system to improve crop productivity, increasing SSA cereal yields by an average of 0.49 tons/hectare or more in fields planted after a legume when compared to cereals in continuous cultivation (Baijukya et al, 2016;One Acre Fund, 2016;Franke et al, 2018). Soy-maize rotations are widely considered a sustainable method for nutrient management in farming systems, as soy can contribute to the nitrogen economy of the soil (Kohjely et al, 2018;Franke et al, 2018;Uzoh et al, 2019). Soybean provides high-quality residues that are high in nitrogen and have a low carbon to nitrogen ratio.…”