Impact of Integrating Annual and Perennial Legumes under Coffea arabica on Sloping Land

Thaddeo Kahigwa Tibasiima (), Deous Mary Ekyaligonza, John Patrick Kanahe Kagorora (), Jürgen Kurt Friedel, Andreas Melcher, Bosco Bwambale, Edwin Akugizibwe and Bernhard Freyer
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Thaddeo Kahigwa Tibasiima: Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Division of Organic Farming, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Deous Mary Ekyaligonza: Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Division of Organic Farming, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
John Patrick Kanahe Kagorora: Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Mountains of the Moon University (MMU), Fort Portal P.O. Box 837, Uganda
Jürgen Kurt Friedel: Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Division of Organic Farming, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Andreas Melcher: Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Institute for Development Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Peter-Jordan-Strasse 76, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Bosco Bwambale: Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Mountains of the Moon University (MMU), Fort Portal P.O. Box 837, Uganda
Edwin Akugizibwe: Faculty of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mountains of the Moon University (MMU), Fort Portal P.O. Box 837, Uganda
Bernhard Freyer: Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Division of Organic Farming, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: Above-ground biomass cover under Coffea arabica on sloping land is beneficial but difficult to sustain. Interplanting annual and perennial legumes can sustain the above-ground biomass cover, and improve soil fertility, yield, and profitability. This was tested on 26 sloping farms in a four-growing season experiment on undersowing C. arabica with new crop combinations: Mucuna pruriens var. utilis (T1); Millettia dura Dunn (T2); a combination of M. pruriens and M. dura (T3); and the control with a no-cover legume (T4). On each farm, all treatments followed a randomized single-block design. T3 produced 8.7 mt/ha/yr above-ground biomass that was significantly ( p < 0.01) higher than other treatments and was increasing with the seasons. Under T3, plant-available nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) increased more than in other treatments. During the fourth season, coffee yield in T3 was 54%, 22%, and 11% higher than in T4, T2, and T1, respectively. The gross profit under T3 was 86% higher than in T4 in the fourth season. This indicates that interplanting a combination of M. pruriens and M. dura under C. arabica on sloping land can sustainably increase above-ground biomass cover, soil’s plant-available N and K, coffee yield, and profitability. Based on the results, the combination of M. pruriens and M. dura is recommended to optimize coffee production under the described conditions.

Keywords: agroforestry; cover crops; interplanting; Millettia dura; Mucuna pruriens; profitability; Rwenzori Mountains; sloping land; undersown (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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