Abstract
ABSTRACT Maize was relay cropped with the cover crops Mucuna pruriens or Pueraria phaseoloides for between one and seven consecutive years in three sites: Ngoungoumou, located in an area of low land use intensity (LUI), about 100 km away from the next major market, and at Evendissi and Andok, in a medium LUI area, 15 to 20 km away from the next major market. Maize performance was compared with that in a natural fallow system, with fallow biomass burned versus retained as mulch in both fallow types. Fallow type had no effect on maize density. After biomass burning higher maize densities were attained at the low LUI site. Maize cob production was affected neither by fallow type nor by biomass management. Across seven years of cropping, marketable cob production in the low LUI site was 38.5% higher in mucuna fallow than in natural fallow (p 0.06). Differences at p 0.05 were found in one out of seven years. In the medium LUI sites, mucuna and pueraria fallow increased marketable cob production by 70–132% (p 0.001). Maize grain yield was closely related to the marketable cob production in all sites. In the low LUI site the cumulative maize grain yield over seven years was 30% higher in mucuna fallow than in natural fallow (p < 0.07), the difference being significant at p 0.05 in only one year. In the medium LUI sites maize grain yield was 65% higher in mucuna fallow (p < 0.001) and 69–94% higher in pueraria fallow (p 0.001). Burning biomass had a cumulative grain yield advantage of 33% at the low LUI site (p 0.053), with significant (p 0.02) differences in two out of seven years. Biomass burning had no effects on maize grain yield in the medium LUI sites. No interactions between fallow type and biomass management were found. Despite the lack of frequent significant advantages of the cover crop fallows in the low LUI site, the system can be recommended because it has the potential to increase food diversity and security; in the medium LUI sites farmers were immediately convinced of the benefits of the system and have since moved on to grow high value vegetable crops.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Fallow type had no effect on maize density.
Zea maysNot reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fallow type had no effect on maize density.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
After biomass burning higher maize densities were attained at the low LUI site.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“After biomass burning higher maize densities were attained at the low LUI site.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize cob production was affected neither by fallow type nor by biomass management.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize cob production was affected neither by fallow type nor by biomass management.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Across seven years of cropping, marketable cob production in the low LUI site was 38.5% higher in mucuna fallow than in natural fallow (p 0.06).
- Treatment
- mucuna fallowe0
- Outcome
- marketable cob productione0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 38.5%e0
- Comparator
- natural fallowe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Across seven years of cropping, marketable cob production in the low LUI site was 38.5% higher in mucuna fallow than in natural fallow (p 0.06).”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
In the medium LUI sites, mucuna and pueraria fallow increased marketable cob production by 70–132% (p 0.001).
- Treatment
- mucuna and pueraria fallowe0
- Outcome
- marketable cob productione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 70–132%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the medium LUI sites, mucuna and pueraria fallow increased marketable cob production by 70–132% (p 0.001).”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize grain yield was closely related to the marketable cob production in all sites.
Not reportedOrgan / stageDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize grain yield was closely related to the marketable cob production in all sites.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
In the low LUI site the cumulative maize grain yield over seven years was 30% higher in mucuna fallow than in natural fallow (p < 0.07), the difference being significant at p 0.05 in only one year.
- Treatment
- mucuna fallowe0
- Outcome
- cumulative maize grain yielde0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 30%e0
- Comparator
- natural fallowe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the low LUI site the cumulative maize grain yield over seven years was 30% higher in mucuna fallow than in natural fallow (p < 0.07), the difference being significant at p 0.05 in only one year.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
In the medium LUI sites maize grain yield was 65% higher in mucuna fallow (p < 0.001) and 69–94% higher in pueraria fallow (p 0.001).
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the medium LUI sites maize grain yield was 65% higher in mucuna fallow (p < 0.001) and 69–94% higher in pueraria fallow (p 0.001).”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
In the medium LUI sites maize grain yield was 65% higher in mucuna fallow (p < 0.001) and 69–94% higher in pueraria fallow (p 0.001).
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the medium LUI sites maize grain yield was 65% higher in mucuna fallow (p < 0.001) and 69–94% higher in pueraria fallow (p 0.001).”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Burning biomass had a cumulative grain yield advantage of 33% at the low LUI site (p 0.053), with significant (p 0.02) differences in two out of seven years.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Burning biomass had a cumulative grain yield advantage of 33% at the low LUI site (p 0.053), with significant (p 0.02) differences in two out of seven years.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Biomass burning had no effects on maize grain yield in the medium LUI sites.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Biomass burning had no effects on maize grain yield in the medium LUI sites.”
t0“Maize”
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