Article
Version 1
Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Optimizing Pearl Millet-Groundnut Cropping System in the Sahelian Zone of Niger
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and
Version 1
: Received: 23 October 2023 / Approved: 23 October 2023 / Online: 24 October 2023 (08:34:06 CEST)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Maman, N.; Mason, S.C. Pearl Millet–Groundnut Cropping Systems for the Sahel. Agronomy 2023, 13, 3029. Maman, N.; Mason, S.C. Pearl Millet–Groundnut Cropping Systems for the Sahel. Agronomy 2023, 13, 3029.
Abstract
Abstract:
A two-year study of pearl millet-groundnut cropping systems across two fertilizer levels was conducted at the INRAN/TARNA research station in Maradi, Niger in the Sahelian zone of West Africa. The objective of this study was to identify the best cropping system with and without fertilizer application to optimize pearl millet and groundnut yields, land use efficiency, and economics as measured by value-to-cost ratio. The experiment was conducted with three replications, and ten treatments combination of five pearl millet and groundnut cropping systems (pearl millet and groundnut sole crops, and three pearl millet – groundnut intercrops), and two fertilizer levels. Sole cropping produced the highest pearl millet grain by over 300 kg ha-1 and groundnut pod yields by over 500 kg ha-1, but all the intercropping systems had a LER above 1.0 with land use efficiency increased by 19 to 41%, also intercropping increased diversity, and reduced risk. Fertilizer application increased yields in all cropping systems by 200 to 600 kg ha-1. Government subsidy increased the value-to-cost ratio by 0.5 to 2, 5 units, and was required for economic response for pearl millet sole and intercrops in 2022. The groundnut sole cropping system had the greatest economic response to fertilizer application. Based on the risky environment and multiple end uses needed by producers, the intercrop system M-G: 1:3:1 with fertilizer application is usually the best option to optimize pearl millet and groundnut production.
Keywords
Grain yield; pod yield; intercrop; sole crop; land equivalent ratio; fertilizer land use efficiency; value to cost ratio
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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