Mungbean-maize rotation improved soil properties and maize yield in dryland

Abstract

Abstract One of the conditions to improve maize yield in dryland areas is by improving soil properties. This paper reports on the improvement of soil properties and maize yield resulted from rotating mungbean and maize in two consecutive years. In the first year, mungbean was grown as a cover crop at different population densities (250,000, 375,000, and 500,000 plants ha−1) combined with desiccation times of 28 and 35 days after planting in April 2019. Two weeks after the desiccation, maize seeds were planted at a density of 9 plants per m2. In those cover crop plots and a control treatment without a cover crop. All the treatments were replicated three times and were arranged in a Randomized Block Design. Following the maize crops, mungbean was grown again (except in the control plots) from October to December 2019 at the same population densities as before, combined with two seed classes; stock seeds and extension seeds. The mungbean was harvested in mid-December 2019 and after biomass determination, the residue was incorporated into the treatment plots. In mid-January 2020, maize seeds were planted at the same population density as before in all plot treatments, including control plots. Soil properties were determined at 60 days after maize planting. The results revealed that nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium in the soil increased substantially by 52.6, 282.9, and 110%, respectively after two years of the rotation. There was an average of 44.7% increase in maize yield resulted from the highest mungbean population density plots as compared to the control treatment. It is concluded that mungbean-maize rotation is an effective way to improve maize yield in dryland areas.