1. Intensification of maize-legume systems
Regis Chikowo, Wezi Mhango, Edward Mzumara, Chiwimbo Gwenambira, Rowland Chirwa, Sieg Snapp

2. Malawi 15million people Agricultural based economy Area: 118,000km2
Insert map
Malawi
15million people
Agricultural based economy
Area: 118,000km2
Small land holdings

3. Insert map
A geography lesson
We are around here!

4. Labour productivity and gender issues…
Labour productivity and gender issues….who is likely to have made these ridges????

5. Labour productivity…soil fertility

6. Legumes to harness N2 to organic form

7. Between farm Contrasts

8. Potential pitfalls for intensification across nutrient gradients…

9. Basic crop production ecology …

10. Yield-determining factors

11. Yield-determining factors

12. Responding to different farm/socioeconomic circumstances …
Interrogating circumstances for
Intensified mineral fertilizer use
Rotational systems
Intercropping systems
Doubled-up legume systems

13. When land is too constraining..
Increasing land productivity is a must
We have to go an extra mile with our innovations
Beyond the ‘low hanging fruits’

14. The doubled-up legume technology Intercropping two grain legumes
Legume –legume intercrops (double legume) based on different crop growth habits /architecture
one of the crops starts growth slowly
Both crops planted at their optimum spacing (as in sole cropping – additive intercropping design)
two grain crops harvested
soil fertility benefits larger
The pigeonpea/groundnut doubled up system the best

15. Doubled-up legumes – intercropping 2 legumes that have little inter-specific competition for resources

16. When groundnut is almost mature, pigeonpea begins vigorous growth

17. Then flowers and pods form

18. Understorey groundnut has since been harvested….!!!

19. Unfertilized vs NP fertilizer

20. Unfertilized vs NP fertilizer

21. Maize yields are reduced with legume intercropping compared to sole maize under well fertilised conditions

22. Intraspecific competition – yield penalties in doubled up systems

23. Sole and doubled-up legumes are highly beneficial to maize in sequence!

24. Climbing beans: possibilities in Linthipe

25. Pigeonpea integration…

26. Sustainability indices (metrics)

27. Aboveground biomass inputs

28. Measuring the ‘hidden half’
Complex
Laborious
Expensive
Time consuming
Destructive sampling

29. Belowground biomass assessment
PIGEONPEA PRODUCTIVITY
INTRO
METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
Belowground biomass assessment cm
1. The roots from different depths were cleaned with distilled water, dried to constant weight in an oven at 75 C and ground to a fine powder cm cm

30. Belowground biomass: 0-20 cm layer

31. Thank You