Presented by Regis Chikowo, Wezi Mhango, Edward Mzumara, Chiwimbo Gwenambira, Rowland Chirwa, Sieg Snapp (Michigan State University) at the Africa RISING East and Southern Africa Review and Planning Meeting, Malawi, 14-16 July 2015

1. Intensification of maize-legume systems
in Malawi
Regis Chikowo, Wezi Mhango, Edward Mzumara, Chiwimbo Gwenambira,
Rowland Chirwa, Sieg Snapp
Michigan State University
Africa RISING East and Southern Africa Review and Planning Meeting,
Malawi, 14-16 July 2015

2. Malawi
15million people
Agricultural based
economy
Area: 118,000km2
 Small land holdings
 Insert map
Elevation Zones &
Agricultural Development Divisions
Karonga
ADD
Mzuzu
ADD
Kasungu
ADD
Lilongwe ADD
Machinga
ADD
Blantyre
ADD
Shire
Valley
ADD
Mzuzu
Lilongwe
Blantyre
Zomba
Kasungu
Karonga
Mchinji
Chitipa
Salima
Lower Shire Valley:
< 200 m elevation
Lakeshore, Middle &
Upper Shire: 200 - 760 m
Highlands:
> 1300 m
Mid-elevation Upland
Plateau: 760 - 1300 m
T. Benson; 10/98
MALAWI
Nsanje
Salima
ADD
Mzimba
Mangochi

3.  Insert map
Elevation Zones &
Agricultural Development Divisions
Karonga
ADD
Mzuzu
ADD
Kasungu
ADD
Lilongwe ADD
Machinga
ADD
Blantyre
ADD
Shire
Valley
ADD
Mzuzu
Lilongwe
Blantyre
Zomba
Kasungu
Karonga
Mchinji
Chitipa
Salima
Lower Shire Valley:
< 200 m elevation
Lakeshore, Middle &
Upper Shire: 200 - 760 m
Highlands:
> 1300 m
Mid-elevation Upland
Plateau: 760 - 1300 m
T. Benson; 10/98
MALAWI
Nsanje
Salima
ADD
Mzimba
Mangochi
We are around here!
A geography lesson

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

5. Labour productivity…soil fertility

6. Legumes to harness N2 to organic form

7. Between farm Contrasts

8. Potentialpitfalls for intensificationacross nutrient gradients…

9. 9
Basic crop production ecology …

10. 10
Yield-determining factors

11. 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-uplegume 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,pigeonpeabegins
vigorous growth

17. Thenflowersandpods
form

18. Understoreygroundnut has since been harvested….!!!

19. Unfertilized vs NP fertilizer
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
GolomotiB
KandeuA
KandeuB
LinthipeA
LinthipeB
NsipeA
NsipeB
GolomotiB
KandeuA
KandeuB
LinthipeA
LinthipeB
NsipeA
NsipeB
2012-13 2013-14
Yield(kg/ha)
Season
Maize grain yield (site x season)
Control NP_Fert

20. Unfertilized vs NP fertilizer
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
GolomotiB
KandeuA
KandeuB
LinthipeA
LinthipeB
NsipeA
NsipeB
GolomotiB
KandeuA
KandeuB
LinthipeA
LinthipeB
NsipeA
NsipeB
2012-13 2013-14
Yield(kg/ha)
Season
Maize grain yield (site x season)
Control NP_Fert

21. Maizeyieldsarereducedwithlegumeintercroppingcomparedto
solemaizeunderwellfertilisedconditions
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
GolomotiB
KandeuA
KandeuB
LinthipeA
LinthipeB
NsipeA
NsipeB
GolomotiB
KandeuA
KandeuB
LinthipeA
LinthipeB
NsipeA
Mean
2012-13 2013-14
Yield(kg/ha)
Season x Site
Effect of legume intercrop on maize yield
SoleMz
Mz/PP

22. Intraspecific competition – yield penalties in
doubled up systems
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000 GolomotiB
KandeuA
KandeuB
LinthipeA
LinthipeB
NsipeA
NsipeB
GolomotiB
LinthipeB
NsipeA
GolomotiB
KandeuA
KandeuB
NsipeA
NsipeB
KandeuB
2012-13 2013-14 2012-13 2013-14
Groundnut Soybean
Grainyield(kg/ha)
Sole Yield With Pp Intercrop

23. Sole and doubled-up legumesare highly beneficialto
maizein sequence!
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
Mz_Cntrl Mz_NP Inter_Mz Mz/PP Sole_Leg Dbl_Leg
Grainyield(kg/ha)
Maize yields - 2014

24. Climbing beans: possibilities in Linthipe

25. Pigeonpea integration…

26. Sustainability indices (metrics)

27. Cropping System
Sole Pigeonpea Pigeonpea/Gnut Pigeonpea/Soya Pigeonpea/Maize
Totalshootbiomass(Mg/ha)
0
5
10
15
20
c
b
ab
a
Aboveground biomass inputs

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

29. Belowground biomass assessment
INTRO METHODS RESULTS DISCUSSIONPIGEONPEA PRODUCTIVITY
0 - 20 cm
20 - 40 cm
40 - 60 cm
29

30. Belowground biomass: 0-20 cm layer

31. Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation
africa-rising.net
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