This document discusses a study on intercropping maize and orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) in Malawi. The study found that strip intercropping maize and OFSP led to higher yields and profits than sole cropping. Intercropping increased food production, farm incomes, and had potential to improve food security and nutrition in Malawi. The document recommends further research on intercropping OFSP with other crops like maize, soybeans, and onions using participatory on-farm methods.

1. MAIZE – ORANGE-FLESHED SWEETPOTATO
(OFSP) INTERCROPPING:
POTENTIAL FOR USE TO ENHANCE FOOD
SECURITY AND THE SCALING-UP
NUTRITION EFFORT IN MALAWI
Putri E Abidin, F.C. Chipungu, T. Nyekanyeka, T. Chilanga,
I. Benesi, O. Mwenye, J. Kazembe, B. Botha and E. E.
CareyMALAWI GOVERNMENT
Prepared by
Naivasha, Kenya, 30th June to 4th July 2013

2. Presentation outline
Background, challenges, opportunities
Materials and Methods
Results and Discussion
Concluding Remarks

3. Challenges in Malawi
Climate change –
maize is a staple food
Declining soil fertility
picture: finger millet

4. Small sized landholding
High levels of poverty,
under-nutrition
and 59 %VAD under 5 years
Challenges in Malawi

5. Food diversification is in the core of Agriculture’s policy
The SUN 1000 Special Days initiative was launched in July
2011
High population hard working people potential
manpower and eager to adopt technology
OPPORTUNITIES IN MALAWI

6. Mzimba-Northern Region
Dedza - Central
Mulanje-Southern Chikhwawa-Shire Valley - Southern
INTERCROPPING MAIZE + SWEETPOTATO IS COMMONLY PRACTICED
BY RESOURCE-POOR FARMERS IN MALAWI

7. 2010/2011 rainy season
2011/2012 rainy season
Crops:
Sweetpotato: OFSP, Zondeni variety
Maize: SC 627 cultivar
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Treatments: strip and intra cropping
T-1: 2 rows OFSP and 1 row maize
T-2: 1 row OFSP and 1 row maize
T-3: 1 row OFSP and 2 rows maize
T-4: Intra planting 3 plants OFSP and 1
plant maize
T-5: Sweetpotato pure stand
T-6: Maize pure stand
2 Seasons: 2010/12 & 2011/12
Planting distance:
Within plants 30 cm; between rows 75 cm
Fertilizers: only for maize based on
recommendation in Malawi
Location: on-station
Bvumbwe Research Station, Blantyre
Harvests: Maize: 4MAP; OFSP: 5, 6, 7MAP
Data analysed by Genstat 2005
Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) was calculated

8. 2010/2011 season 2011/2012 season Mean of
seasons
Maize
wt shelled after
drying (t/ha)
OFSP
wt marketable
roots (t/ha)
Maize
wt shelled after
drying (t/ha)
OFSP
wt marketable
roots (t/ha)
Maize
wt shelled after
drying (t/ha)
Treatment (OFSP plants:Maize plants/plot)
T1: 2 rows OFSP:1 row maize
(260:140)
5.1 28.8 1.5 11 3.30
T2: 1 row OFSP:1 row maize
(200:200)
5.3 21.2 1.7 12 3.56
T3: 1 row OFSP vs 2 rows maize
(120:280)
4.6 19.5 1.8 17 3.22
T4: Intra 3 OFSP plants and 1 maize
plant (300:100)
4.1 26.5 1.2 12 2.71
T5: OFSP monoculture (400:0) - - - 12
T6: Maize monoculture (0:400) - - 2.3 -
P-value ** * * * (*)
LSD 0.8 6.66 0.6 3.5 (0.529)
Block (Maize) or Harvest (OFSP)
B1 or H1: 5 MAP 4.7 10.8 1.6 10 3.09
B2 or H2: 6 MAP 4.8 15.9 2.0 13 3.30
B3 or H3: 7 MAP - 45.2 1.4 15 -
P-value Ns ** (*) ** ns
LSD 5% 5.74 (0.4) 2.7
Grand mean 4.8 24 1.7 13 3.20
cv (%) 10 28.3 25.2 28.6 24
Yields of maize (4 MAP) and OFSP cv. Zondeni (5, 6 and 7 MAP) in
intercropping arrangements evaluated during 2 seasons at Bvumbwe
Research Station, Malawi
(** highly significant at <0.01, LSD 5%; * significant at <0.05, LSD 5%; brackets:
p-value<0.1, LSD 10%; ns = non-significant)

9. No. of
marketable roots
per plot (plant)
Wt. marketable
roots (t/ha)
Total Yield storage
roots (t/ha)
Treatment (SP plants/plot)
T1: 2 rows OFSP : 1 row maize (260) 359 (1.38) 19.9 23.1
T2: 1 row OFSP : 1 row maize (200) 345 (1.73) 16.7 19.2
T3: 1 row OFSP : 2 rows maize (120) 278 (2.32) 18.0 20.4
T4: Intra 3 OFSP plants : 1 maize plant (300) 387 (1.29) 19.3 21.5
P-value ** ns ns
LSD 59.6 - -
Environment (Harvest)
H1: 5 MAP 304 10.6 12.3
H2: 6 MAP 399 14.5 16.7
H3: 7 MAP 323 30.3 34.1
P-value (*) ** **
LSD (73.6) 7.16 7.88
Season
2010/2011 rainy season 323 24.0 27.3
2011/2012 rainy season 361 13.0 14.7
P-value ns ** **
LSD - 2.52 5.56
Grand mean 342 18.5 21.0
cv (%) 41.4 42.1 42.2
Mean yields of OFSP cv. Zondeni harvested at 5, 6 and 7 MAP, intercropping with maize
in four spatial arrangements over 2010/2011 and 2011/2012
(** highly significant at p-value<0.01, LSD 5%; * significant at p-value<0.05,
LSD 5%; brackets: p-value<0.1, LSD 10%; and ns = non-significant)

10. Treatment
2010/2011
Season
2011/2012
Season
No. of
Respon
dents
Rank No. of
Respon
dents
Rank
T1: 2 rows ofsp : 1 row
maize
13 2 19 1
T2: 1 row ofsp : 1 row maize 12 3 6 2
T3: 1 row ofsp : 2 row maize 24 1 4 4
T4: Intra 3 ofsp plants: 1
maize plant
3 4 0 6
T5: ofsp Monoculture - - 5 3
T6: Maize Monoculture - - 2 5
Opinions of respondents collected during the open days conducted
in rainy season of 2010/2011(n=52) and
2011/2012 (n=36).

11. 2:1 OFSP/
maize row
1:1 OFSP/
maize row
1:2 OFSP/
maize rows
3:1
OFSP/
maize
plant
Sole Maize Sole OFSP
Year 1: 2010/2011 rainy season
Income from maize sale
($0.175/kg)*
312 464 564 179
Income from OFSP sale ($0.5/kg
or $0.175/kg)*
9,360/3,276 5,300/1,855 2,925/1,024 9,938/
3,478
Total variable cost 1743 1756 1770 1736
Profit (when OFSP is at $0.5/kg
or $0.175/kg)*
7,929/1,845 4,007/562 1,718/
-183
8,381/
1,921
Year 2: 2011/2012 rainy season
Income from maize sale
($0.167/kg)*
88 142 210 50 383
Income from OFSP sale
($0.33/kg or $0.167/kg)*
2,383/1,192 2,033/
1017
1,650/
825
3,100/
1,550
4,000/
2,000
Total variable cost 1171 1183 1197 1163 1221 1144
Profit (when OFSP is at $0.33/kg
or $0.167/kg)*
1,300/
109
992/
-24
663/
-162
1,987/
437
-838 2,856/
856
Income and profit per intercropped (USD) from intercropping
maize and OFSP Zondeni during 2 rainy seasons
in Malawi

12. CONCLUDING REMARKS
Strip intercropping of maize and sweetpotato appears to have
considerable potential to contribute to
crop diversification,
cropping system intensification and sustainability,
farm profitability and
household food and nutrition security in increasingly risk-prone
maize production systems in Malawi
Further intercropping studies with orange-fleshed sweetpotato, maize,
soybeans and onion using participatory approaches under on-farm
conditions are recommended.

13. Acknowledgement
Thank you very
much for your
attention!
grasshoppers Sweetpotato
leaves
OFSP roots
For support toward
promoting OFSP
development & promotion
in Malawi
A healthy local food IRISH AID,
Malawi Government,
Implementing Partners
Farmers