Short- and Long-term Maize Yield Response toMucuna pruriensandPueraria phaseoloidesRelay Fallow and Biomass Burning Versus Mulching in the Forest Zone of Southern Cameroon

Maize was relay cropped with the cover crops Mucuna pruriens or Pueraria phaseoloides for between one and seven consecutive years in three sites: Ngoungoumou, located in an area of low land use intensity (LUI), about 100 km away from the next major market, and at Evendissi and Andok, in a medium LUI area, 15 to 20 km away from the next major market. Maize performance was compared with that in a natural fallow system, with fallow biomass burned versus retained as mulch in both fallow types. Fallow type had no effect on maize density. After biomass burning higher maize densities were attained at the low LUI site. Maize cob production was affected neither by fallow type nor by biomass management. Across seven years of cropping, marketable cob production in the low LUI site was 38.5% higher in mucuna fallow than in natural fallow (p ⁢ 0.06). Differences at p ⁢ 0.05 were found in one out of seven years. In the medium LUI sites, mucuna and pueraria fallow increased marketable cob production by 70–132% ...