OPTIMIZING SWEET CORN AND GROUNDNUT INTERCROPPING: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF YIELD AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES

Intercropping is an inexpensive method of enhancing agricultural productivity, especially when land resources are scarce and food demand is on the rise. This study focuses on the intercropping of sweet corn and groundnut, assessing its biological, competitive, and economic performance using the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER), Aggressivity Index (AI), and Monetary Advantage Index (MAI). The work was conducted in the context of three cropping regimes: sweet corn monoculture (T1), groundnut monoculture (T2), and combined treatments (T3, T4, T5) planted in strips with different planting dates (relay intercropping); same day planting (T3), two weeks after groundnut planting (T4), and two weeks after sweet corn planting (T5). Findings revealed that sweet corn monoculture (T1) always recorded higher performance compared to other systems, in terms of earning more profits since corn was marketed based on the number of ears rather than by weight, as was the case for groundnut. The T4 system involving two-week advance sowing of groundnut before sowing corn recorded higher values of LER, suggesting improved yield and efficiency. However, the values of ATER were below 1, suggesting no time benefit over monocropping systems. Positive values of CR, RCC, and AYL confirmed the dominance of corn in intercropping systems. The highest MAI was for T4 with greater yield and profitability, but T1 was better than intercropping systems. Additionally, the number of sweet corn plants grown was higher in the monoculture system compared to the intercropping systems. Sweet corn monoculture (T1) is advised for greater profitability by smallholders.