TY - JOUR

T1 - Performance of Cassava under Lime, Fertilizer, and Legume Intercropping on Exhausted Land in Northern Zambia

AU - Kaluba, Peter

AU - Mwamba, Sydney

AU - Moualeu-Ngangue, Dany Pascal

AU - Chiona, Martin

AU - Munyinda, Kalaluka

AU - Winter, Etti

AU - Stützel, Hartmut

AU - Chishala, Benson H.

N1 - The authors would like to thank the Federal government of Germany, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and the University of Zambia for financial support. Lastly, the authors are grateful to the Zambian Government through the Ministry of Agriculture at Mansa Research Station for their assistance during the data collection. )is research was supported by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), International Cooperation and Global Food Security 323, Germany [Grant number, 1 January 2017], and the University of Zambia

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Cassava yields of 6 t ha-1 are lower than the potential yield of 20-25 t ha-1 obtained in Northern Zambia. It is grown in legume intercropping with little or no fertilizer, causing nutrient depletion with consequent land abandonment. Therefore, the study objective was to investigate the performance of cassava under lime, fertilizer, and grain legume intercropping on exhausted land in Northern Zambia. A split-split plot design experiment was conducted over two seasons, comprising two lime rates (0 and 300 kg ha-1), two fertilizer rates (0 and 100N: 23P:80 K kg ha-1), and three grain legumes (common beans, cowpea, and soybean) intercropped in cassava and sole cassava arranged in RCBD with three replications. Periodic measurements of leaf area index (LAI), light interception, weather data, and yield components were recorded. A linear mixed model with year as a random factor was performed to assess the treatment effect of lime, fertilizer, and legume species intercropping on cassava growth characteristics, radiation-use efficiency (RUE), and selected yield components. Lime, fertilizer rates, and legume species intercropping were assigned as main, sub-, and sub-sub-treatments, respectively. Fertilization and fertilization + lime treatments in sole cassava and cassava-common bean intercropping significantly increased the RUE and light extinction coefficient (k) compared to nonfertilized and only lime treatments. Lime x fertilizer x cropping system interaction was significant on chlorophyll index and plant height, RUE, tuber yield, HI, and total dry matter (TDM) yield. Cropping system x year interactions were significant on season LAI. On average, every kg of cassava yield loss in intercropping was compensated by 0.46 kg soybean, 0.20 kg common beans, and 0.26 kg of cowpea. NPK fertilizer + lime, NPK fertilizer, and grain legume intercropping may be adopted to increase cassava tuber yields and legume grain yield response on nutrient-depleted soils in high rainfall areas of Zambia.

AB - Cassava yields of 6 t ha-1 are lower than the potential yield of 20-25 t ha-1 obtained in Northern Zambia. It is grown in legume intercropping with little or no fertilizer, causing nutrient depletion with consequent land abandonment. Therefore, the study objective was to investigate the performance of cassava under lime, fertilizer, and grain legume intercropping on exhausted land in Northern Zambia. A split-split plot design experiment was conducted over two seasons, comprising two lime rates (0 and 300 kg ha-1), two fertilizer rates (0 and 100N: 23P:80 K kg ha-1), and three grain legumes (common beans, cowpea, and soybean) intercropped in cassava and sole cassava arranged in RCBD with three replications. Periodic measurements of leaf area index (LAI), light interception, weather data, and yield components were recorded. A linear mixed model with year as a random factor was performed to assess the treatment effect of lime, fertilizer, and legume species intercropping on cassava growth characteristics, radiation-use efficiency (RUE), and selected yield components. Lime, fertilizer rates, and legume species intercropping were assigned as main, sub-, and sub-sub-treatments, respectively. Fertilization and fertilization + lime treatments in sole cassava and cassava-common bean intercropping significantly increased the RUE and light extinction coefficient (k) compared to nonfertilized and only lime treatments. Lime x fertilizer x cropping system interaction was significant on chlorophyll index and plant height, RUE, tuber yield, HI, and total dry matter (TDM) yield. Cropping system x year interactions were significant on season LAI. On average, every kg of cassava yield loss in intercropping was compensated by 0.46 kg soybean, 0.20 kg common beans, and 0.26 kg of cowpea. NPK fertilizer + lime, NPK fertilizer, and grain legume intercropping may be adopted to increase cassava tuber yields and legume grain yield response on nutrient-depleted soils in high rainfall areas of Zambia.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85134503280&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1155/2022/3649355

DO - 10.1155/2022/3649355

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85134503280

VL - 2022

JO - International Journal of Agronomy

JF - International Journal of Agronomy

SN - 1687-8159

M1 - 3649355

ER -