Abstract
Crop diversification through integration of sweetpotato with legumes such as soybean presents a viable option for achieving food and nutrition security, income generation, soil fertility improvement, and adaptation to climate change in Malawi. However, knowledge regarding the choice of sweetpotato variety specifically adapted to intercropping systems remains a major obstacle to its optimization. The objective of the study was to evaluate three sweetpotato varieties under different intercropping systems. A field experiment was conducted using three Orange- fleshed Sweetpotato varieties (OFSP) with different vine length and growth habits (Kadyaubwerere -long vines, Royal choice-short vines, and Chipika - compact vines) under five spatial arrangements across three different agroecological zones during 2023–2024 cropping season. Five spatial arrangements including i) sole sweetpotato (Sole SP); ii) sole soybean (sole SB); iii) sweetpotato - soybean (1:1); iv) sweetpotato – soybean (2:1); and v) sweetpotato – soybean (2:2) were evaluated using a randomized complete block design in a split-plot arrangement with three replications. Agronomic data were subjected to analysis of variance using R programing. Land equivalent ratios (LERs) and absolute merit effect (AME) were also used to determine the productivity of the intercropping system. Variety architecture, locations, and intercropping systems significantly (P< 0.001) influenced the yields, and other traits of sweetpotato and soybean. Sweetpotato varieties responded differently under diverse spatial arrangements, indicating varietal effects on crop performance. LERs indicate significantly higher yield advantage in intercropping compared to sole cropping. LERs were greater than one (LER>1) in many of the intercrops, indicating higher productivity of intercropping over sole cropping. Across locations, Chipika and Royal choice sweetpotato varieties intercropped in ratios 1:1 and 2:1 gave the highest LERs as compared to Kadyaubwelere. The results suggest the combinations of Chipika-soybean in ratios 2:1 and 2:2 and Royal choice -soybean in ratios 1:1 and 2:2 for sweetpotato-intensification in Malawi due to the less competitiveness of the two varieties under the different intercropping arrangements.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Variety architecture, location and intercropping system significantly influenced the yields and other traits of sweetpotato and soybean.
- Taxon
- sweetpotato
_Flower.jpg?width=60)
Ipomoea batatast0 - Treatment
- intercropping systemse1
- Outcome
- yieldse1
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Flower.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
t0“sweetpotato-legume intercropping options in Malawi”
e1“Variety architecture, locations, and intercropping systems significantly (P< 0.001) influenced the yields, and other traits of sweetpotato and soybean”
Claim · model-written summary
Sweetpotato varieties responded differently to the spatial arrangements, indicating varietal effects on crop performance.
- Taxon
- sweetpotatoIpomoea batatast0
- Material
- Sweetpotato varietiese2
- Treatment
- spatial arrangementse2
- Outcome
- crop performancee2
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“sweetpotato-legume intercropping options in Malawi”
e2“Sweetpotato varieties responded differently under diverse spatial arrangements, indicating varietal effects on crop performance”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping gave a significantly higher yield advantage than sole cropping, as shown by LERs.
- Taxon
- sweetpotatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- intercroppinge3
- Outcome
- yield advantagee3
- Direction
- highere3
- Comparator
- sole croppinge3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“sweetpotato-legume intercropping options in Malawi”
e3“LERs indicate significantly higher yield advantage in intercropping compared to sole cropping”
Claim · model-written summary
LERs were greater than one in many intercrops, indicating higher productivity of intercropping than sole cropping.
- Taxon
- sweetpotatoIpomoea batatast0
- Outcome
- LERse4
- Direction
- greatere4
- Value
- greater than one (LER>1)e4
- Qualifier
- in many of the intercropse4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“sweetpotato-legume intercropping options in Malawi”
e4“LERs were greater than one (LER>1) in many of the intercrops, indicating higher productivity of intercropping over sole cropping”
Claim · model-written summary
Chipika and Royal choice sweetpotato varieties intercropped in ratios 1:1 and 2:1 gave the highest LERs compared with Kadyaubwelere.
- Taxon
- sweetpotatoIpomoea batatase5
- Material
- Chipika and Royal choice sweetpotato varietiese5
- Treatment
- intercropped in ratios 1:1 and 2:1e5
- Outcome
- LERse5
- Direction
- higheste5
- Comparator
- Kadyaubweleree5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Chipika and Royal choice sweetpotato varieties intercropped in ratios 1:1 and 2:1 gave the highest LERs as compared to Kadyaubwelere”
Claim · model-written summary
Chipika and Royal choice intercropped with soybean in the stated ratios are suggested for sweetpotato intensification in Malawi.
- Taxon
- sweetpotatoIpomoea batatast0
- Outcome
- sweetpotato-intensificatione6
- Qualifier
- combinations of Chipika-soybean in ratios 2:1 and 2:2 and Royal choice -soybean in ratios 1:1 and 2:2e6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“sweetpotato-legume intercropping options in Malawi”
e6“The results suggest the combinations of Chipika-soybean in ratios 2:1 and 2:2 and Royal choice -soybean in ratios 1:1 and 2:2 for sweetpotato-intensification in Malawi”
The same questions in other papers
intercropping · yield · Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato)Results differ
12 papers in the same direction as this paper · 10 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- positive
- no effect
20 papers more in this group
See all 24 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.