Yields and Land‐Use Efficiency of Maize‐Cowpea Crop Rotation in Comparison to Mixed and Monocropping on an Alfisol in Northern Ghana

Abstract Results reported in the literature with regard to productivity of intercropping systems in comparison to sole cropping are very inconsistent. A field experiment was therefore conducted in the northern part of the Guinea Savanna in Ghana to compare the productivity of maize/cowpea mixed cropping, maize/cowpea relay intercropping with maize/cowpea rotation and maize monocropping over a 4‐year period. The treatments included two levels of nitrogen (0 and 80 kg of N ha−1 y −1 as urea) and two levels of phosphorus application (0 and 60 kg of P ha−1 y−1 as Volta phosphate rock). At all levels of N and P application, maize yields of the intercropping systems, especially of maize/cowpea mixed cropping, were significantly lower than in sole cropping. Highest maize yields were obtained in maize/cowpea rotation, which in contrast to the other cropping systems did not show any reductions in yields over years. Cowpea yields were generally less affected by the cropping system, but were notably depressed when cowpea was relay‐intercropped with maize. In treatments without fertilizer application (N and P) Land Equivalent Ratios (LER) and Area x Time Equivalency Ratios (ATER) generally indicated lower productivity of the intercropping systems as compared to sole cropping, with the maize/cowpea rotation showing the highest productivity. Conversely, fertilizer application resulted in higher productivity of the intercropping systems over the 4‐year period. Productivity on the basis of ATER was generally lowest in maize/cowpea relay‐intercropping as a consequence of the long time of land occupation. All of the parameters indicate low productivity of maize monocropping, clearly demonstrating that crop sequence as well as fertilizer application must be considered as important for maintaining high production levels at this site.