Forage and maize yields in mixed crop-livestock farming systems: Enhancing forage and maize yields in mixed crop-livestock systems under conservation agriculture in sub-humid Zimbabwe

Publication date: Available online 14 November 2019Source: NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life SciencesAuthor(s): E.F Mutsamba, I. Nyagumbo, W. MupangwaAbstractIn mixed crop-livestock farming systems, smallholder farmers face the challenge of insufficient dry season livestock feed whilst crop production is mainly constrained by poor soil fertility and erratic rains. Conservation agriculture (CA) which is premised on three main principles namely minimal soil disturbance, crop rotations and mulching is being promoted as a potential solution to declining soil productivity. However, farmers implementing CA in mixed crop-livestock systems are conflicted by the use of crop residues either as livestock feed or as mulch under crop production. A study was carried from 2012/13 to 2014/15 season in Murehwa, a sub-humid region of Zimbabwe, to evaluate the effects of maize-legume cropping systems on forage, maize grain yield and gross margins. In this context, forage refers to the plant material/biomass harvested for livestock feeding. The cropping systems involved one conventional tillage practice with continuous sole maize (CT), four CA treatments consisting of continuous sole maize, maize-mucuna intercrop, maize-cowpea intercrop and maize-groundnut/soybean rotations. The experiment was replicated on eight farmers’ fields with each farmer treated as a replicate. Maize-mucuna (4 134 kg ha-1) and maize-cowpea (3 999 kg ha-1) intercrop systems significantly increased forage yield compa...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - Category: Biology Source Type: research