Abstract
ABSTRACT Intercropping can enable sustainable intensification. In Africa, smallholder farmers rely on Cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) as a staple food. Nevertheless, the performance of cassava intercropping emerges from management choices such as legume species selection, planting density, sowing time, and nitrogen (N) fertilisation as well as soil properties and climate. We assembled a meta‐analysis of published studies in Africa, encompassing 42 field experiments and 184 paired comparisons of intercropping systems. Cassava‐legume mixtures were evaluated by (i) the yield of cassava in intercrops versus monocrops as a partial land equivalent ratio (LER) of cassava (as Ln PLER Cas ), and (ii) the overall LER. The most common intercropped legumes were soybeans, cowpeas and groundnuts. Sowing legumes slightly later than cassava was more productive. Based on back‐transformed PLER Cas , a yield reduction of −18% (CI 95% : −13% to −23%) when cassava and legume were planted simultaneously shifted to cassava yield gains of +16% (CI 95% : +1% to +34%) when the legume sowing was delayed by 2–4 weeks ( p < 0.001). When intercropped, increases in cassava planting density beyond 10,000 plants ha −1 gradually reduced cassava yields ( p < 0.001). Intercropping cassava with legumes greatly benefited cassava yield, particularly on coarse‐textured soils ( p < 0.001). In general, based on all available pairwise comparisons, although intercropped cassava yielded 16% (CI 95% : 11%–20%) lower than cassava monocrops, an overall LER of 1.84 (unitless; CI 95% : 1.78–1.90) for cassava‐legume mixtures showcased a substantial advantage in land use efficiency. Results highlight the intercropping opportunities to further develop much needed food production systems that are sustainable and resilient.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Simultaneous cassava and legume planting reduced cassava yield by 18%.
- Taxon
- cassava
Manihot esculentae0 - Treatment
- cassava and legume were planted simultaneouslye0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- −18%e0
- Qualifier
- CI 95% : −13% to −23%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a yield reduction of −18% (CI 95% : −13% to −23%) when cassava and legume were planted simultaneously”
Claim · model-written summary
Delaying legume sowing 2–4 weeks increased cassava yield by 16%.
- Taxon
- cassavaManihot esculentae0
- Treatment
- legume sowing was delayed by 2–4 weekse0
- Outcome
- cassava yielde0
- Direction
- gainse0
- Value
- +16%e0
- Qualifier
- CI 95% : +1% to +34%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“cassava yield gains of +16% (CI 95% : +1% to +34%) when the legume sowing was delayed by 2–4 weeks ( p < 0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropped cassava yield declined as planting density exceeded 10,000 plants per hectare.
- Taxon
- cassavaManihot esculentae0
- Treatment
- planting density beyond 10,000 plants ha −1e0
- Outcome
- cassava yieldse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When intercropped, increases in cassava planting density beyond 10,000 plants ha −1 gradually reduced cassava yields ( p < 0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Legume intercropping benefited cassava yield particularly on coarse-textured soils.
- Taxon
- cassavaManihot esculentae0
- Treatment
- Intercropping cassava with legumese0
- Outcome
- cassava yielde0
- Direction
- benefitede0
- Qualifier
- coarse‐textured soilse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Intercropping cassava with legumes greatly benefited cassava yield, particularly on coarse‐textured soils ( p < 0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Across comparisons, intercropped cassava yielded 16% less than monocropped cassava.
- Taxon
- cassavaManihot esculentae0
- Treatment
- intercropped cassavae0
- Outcome
- yieldede0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Value
- 16%e0
- Qualifier
- CI 95% : 11%–20%e0
- Comparator
- cassava monocropse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“intercropped cassava yielded 16% (CI 95% : 11%–20%) lower than cassava monocrops”
Claim · model-written summary
Cassava-legume mixtures attained a land equivalent ratio of 1.84.
- Taxon
- cassavaManihot esculentae0
- Outcome
- overall LERe0
- Value
- 1.84e0
- Qualifier
- CI 95% : 1.78–1.90e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“an overall LER of 1.84 (unitless; CI 95% : 1.78–1.90) for cassava‐legume mixtures showcased a substantial advantage in land use efficiency”
The same questions in other papers
intercropping · yield · Manihot esculenta (cassava)Results differ
47 papers in the same direction as this paper · 28 in the opposite direction · 2 reporting no difference from an alternative
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