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Intercropping of maize and dry beans in the Vulindlela District of Kwazulu-Natal

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: 1995Other title:
  • Cultivo intercalado de maiz y frijol seco en el distrito de Vulindlela de Kwazulu-natal
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 97-045737
 In: CIAT African Workshop Series (CIAT; SACCAR). no. 31 Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical, Cali (Colombia). Workshop proceedings. [Memorias del taller]. Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania). CIAT, SACCAR. 1995. p. 144-146Summary: An intercropping trial with maize and dry beans was conducted in the Vulindlela district (20 km east of Pietermaritzburg) in KwaZulu-Natal during the 1992/93 summer season. Due to uncontrolled grazing of cattle, cropping is limited to small areas of land close to the homesteads. Land and other agricultural inputs are limiting for most families. The possibility of increasing land productivity under a low-input situation, needed investigation. In this area maize has lost its traditional place as the most important crop, it was rated only third after potatoes and dry beans. A high dry bean yield of good quality was desired. Two maize and two bean cultivars at three bean densities were used. The maize was grown at 50 percent of the common sole crop density of 41500 p/ha. Maize rows were rearranged to have two rows 40 cm apart and then 2,2 m open to grow beans in. Beans were grown at 75, 100 and 125 percent of the common sole crop density of 250 000 p/ha. Maize cultivars used were the hybrid SR 52 and open pollinated cultivar Kalahari Early Pearl. Bean cultivars used were Mkuzi and Umlazi. The maize was planted mid November and the beans at the beginning of January (to miss the summer rains at harvesting to produce good quality beans). There were no significant yield differences between maize cultivars or different bean densities. Bean cultivars did not give significantly different yields, but Mkuzi tended to give higher yields but an unknown disease came in at the end of the growing season a shortening Mkuzi's lifespan, while not affecting Umlazi which is a short season cultivar. Maize proved to be too dominant for the beans, despite the lower maize density and changed row arrangement, and depressed bean yields by an unacceptable 50 percent. The seven week growth advantage that the maize had over the beans proved to be too overwhelming. Sole cropping of beans and maize seems to provide more desirable yield and land productivity for the progressive farmer due to their specific demands. However for the subsistence farmer intercropping can hold certain advantages
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Reprint CIMMYT Knowledge Center: John Woolston Library AGRIS Collection 97-045737 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available
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Summary (En) CIAT, Ap. 6713, Cali - Colombia. E-mail: e.goldberg@cgnet.com

An intercropping trial with maize and dry beans was conducted in the Vulindlela district (20 km east of Pietermaritzburg) in KwaZulu-Natal during the 1992/93 summer season. Due to uncontrolled grazing of cattle, cropping is limited to small areas of land close to the homesteads. Land and other agricultural inputs are limiting for most families. The possibility of increasing land productivity under a low-input situation, needed investigation. In this area maize has lost its traditional place as the most important crop, it was rated only third after potatoes and dry beans. A high dry bean yield of good quality was desired. Two maize and two bean cultivars at three bean densities were used. The maize was grown at 50 percent of the common sole crop density of 41500 p/ha. Maize rows were rearranged to have two rows 40 cm apart and then 2,2 m open to grow beans in. Beans were grown at 75, 100 and 125 percent of the common sole crop density of 250 000 p/ha. Maize cultivars used were the hybrid SR 52 and open pollinated cultivar Kalahari Early Pearl. Bean cultivars used were Mkuzi and Umlazi. The maize was planted mid November and the beans at the beginning of January (to miss the summer rains at harvesting to produce good quality beans). There were no significant yield differences between maize cultivars or different bean densities. Bean cultivars did not give significantly different yields, but Mkuzi tended to give higher yields but an unknown disease came in at the end of the growing season a shortening Mkuzi's lifespan, while not affecting Umlazi which is a short season cultivar. Maize proved to be too dominant for the beans, despite the lower maize density and changed row arrangement, and depressed bean yields by an unacceptable 50 percent. The seven week growth advantage that the maize had over the beans proved to be too overwhelming. Sole cropping of beans and maize seems to provide more desirable yield and land productivity for the progressive farmer due to their specific demands. However for the subsistence farmer intercropping can hold certain advantages

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