Intercropping maize with grain legumes influences weed suppression, soil temperature, and disease incidence in Swaziland. (325)

Abstract

Intercropping is a common cropping system among small-scale farmers in the tropics. It involves the growing of two or more unrelated crop species on the same land, in the same farming season. Many Swaziland farmers do not practise it, not knowing which crop combinations would give the best benefits. An investigation that would fill this gap in local knowledge would give farmers a guideline. In this field experiment, conducted in Luyengo, Swaziland, maize (Zea mays L.) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) to determine the extent of crop association to give increased weed suppression, soil temperature, and disease incidence of the cropping systems. Results showed significant differences (P < 0.05) between the levels of weed suppression of the cropping systems, the intercrops giving greater weed suppression that the monocrops.