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Agricultural industry

Maize-Cereal Legume Intercropping Show Promise in Achieving Food and Nutrition Security in Africa

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers conducted a study to assess the performance of sole cereal and cereal-legume intercropping systems in terms of grain, energy, and protein yield, determining the land requirements for energy and protein self-sufficiency at the household level. The study was conducted in two districts of Malawi, Dedza and Mzimba, and involved 72 farms over three consecutive cropping seasons, resulting in 2,530 yield records. The study found that maize-legume intercrops yielded higher nutritional yields than sole cereals and met energy and protein nutritional security needs for 87-96% of the farms in Dedza, sparing 0.83-0.94 ha of land per farm, while in Mzimba, maize-legume intercrops enabled farmers to meet energy and protein requirements for 70-88% of farms, sparing 0.61-0.71 ha of land per farm.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that maize-legume intercrops were the most viable option for achieving food and nutrition security in land-constrained settings in Malawi, particularly in Dedza district.
  • Maize-legume intercrops yielded an average cereal component of 1.7-2.4 t ha(-)1, while sorghum-legume intercrops produced lower cereal yields ranging from 0.7 to 1.2 t ha(-)1, and millet-legume intercrops ranged from 0.6 to 1.4 t ha(-)1.
  • The study concluded that caution is advised for research and development programs targeting small grains in Malawi's smallholder settings, as this may compromise energy and protein outputs at the farm level.
  • Maize cropping systems, particularly when intercropped with legumes, are the most viable option for achieving food and nutrition security in land-constrained settings and in agro-ecological environments similar to Dedza and Mzimba.
  • The study highlighted the importance of considering agro-ecological potential when selecting cropping systems, as reflected in the better performance of Dedza over Mzimba.

Statistics:

  • 72 farms were involved in the study over three consecutive cropping seasons.
  • 2,530 yield records were obtained from the study.
  • Maize-legume intercrops yielded an average cereal component of 1.7-2.4 t ha(-)1.
  • Sorghum-legume intercrops produced lower cereal yields ranging from 0.7 to 1.2 t ha(-)1.
  • Millet-legume intercrops ranged from 0.6 to 1.4 t ha(-)1.
  • Maize-legume intercrops met energy and protein nutritional security needs for 87-96% of the farms in Dedza.
  • Maize-legume intercrops enabled farmers to meet energy and protein requirements for 70-88% of farms in Mzimba.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. New Findings on Agriculture Described by Investigators at International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) (Food and Nutrition Security Merits of Intercropping Maize, Sorghum and Millet With Legumes On Small Farms In Southern Africa). Ecology, Environment & Conservation. July 11, 2025; p 1108.
  • Food and Nutrition Security Merits of Intercropping Maize, Sorghum and Millet With Legumes On Small Farms In Southern Africa. Food Security, 2025.

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