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Explora: Environment
and Resource Maize–pigeon pea intercropping in Ghana

Figure 1. Location map of Ghana showing the CSIR–Crops Research Institute site in Fumesua (indicated by a red circle), where the research was conducted
between 2022 and 2024
Abbreviation: CSIR: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
Table 1. Study location characteristics

Characteristics Fumesua (6° 41’ N, 1° 28’ W)
Agroecological zone Humid forest
Soil type Ferric Acrisol, specifically the Asuasi series. The upper topsoil consisted of approximately 5 cm of
grayish–brown sandy loam and dark brown, gritty clay loam
Temperature (min–max, °C) from 2020 to 2023 21 – 37°C
Rainfall pattern Bimodal rainfall distribution
Major raining season March–mid-August
Minor raining season September–November, peak in October
Total annual rainfall (mm), from 2020 to 2023 1,027 – 1,322 mm, averaging at 1,184 mm/year
Source: Adopted from Adu and Asiamah. 18
(ii) Half rate (HR): 125 kg/ha of 15-15-15 N-P O -K O + Planting and crop management:
2
5
2
125 kg/ha of SoA. (i) NPP: Maize was planted at a spacing of 0.8 m ×
(iii) No fertilizer (NF): Control treatment without 0.4 m with two plants per hill, following CSIR–
4
inorganic fertilizer application. Crops Research Institute guidelines, resulting in a
population density of 62,500 plants/ha. Two central
Pigeon pea was planted during the minor season of 2022 maize plots were designated for data collection, with
to allow sufficient biomass accumulation for incorporation adjacent rows used for destructive sampling.
into the soil during the 2023 cropping seasons. A late- (ii) MPP: A substitution model allocated approximately
maturing pigeon pea variety (8 months to maturity) was 30% of the maize area to pigeon pea by alternating six
selected and used to maximize biomass production. The rows of maize with two rows of pigeon peas. Pigeon
maize variety used was Abontem, an improved open- peas were planted at a spacing of 1 m × 5.6 m (intra-
pollinated variety developed by the CSIR–Crops Research row and inter-row spacing respectively), resulting in
Institute. a population density of 3,571 plants/ha, while maize

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2025) 3 doi: 10.36922/EER025130026