Effect of intercropping systems on productivity, profitability and land equivalent ratio of pulses

Abstract:

Surprising fact: a hectare planted with cereal and legume intercropped together can, under the right row arrangement, out-produce two separate hectares each growing the crops alone by more than 40%, at least according to the land equivalent ratio data this two-season research recorded around Yamoussoukro. Four cropping arrangements, sole cereal, sole legume (cowpea), 1:1 row-replacement intercrop, and 2:1 row-replacement intercrop, were compared for yield, land equivalent ratio (LER), and net profitability. The 2:1 intercrop arrangement (two cereal rows to one legume row) produced the highest LER at 1.42, meaning 42% more land would be needed under sole cropping to match the combined output achieved on the same area under this intercrop arrangement. Net profitability followed a similar ranking, with the 2:1 intercrop generating 31% higher net return per hectare than sole cereal cropping, driven by the combined value of cereal grain, legume grain, and reduced fertilizer requirement from the legume's nitrogen contribution. The 1:1 arrangement produced a slightly lower LER of 1.35 but showed the most balanced grain output between the two component crops, relevant for farming households prioritizing dietary diversity from their own harvest over pure profitability. These findings support row-replacement intercropping, and the 2:1 arrangement specifically where cereal grain commands the stronger market value, as a productivity- and profitability-positive alternative to sole cropping for pulse-cereal systems in this region.