Cereal/legume intercropping is a potential pathway

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the abstract and stated research gap of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2009 and 2026, spanning 6 journals. Those papers have been cited 69 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 7 representative gaps

• Interspecific competition and productivity in a dryland silage maize/alfalfa intercropping system (2023) · Food and Energy Security · cited 11× · doi

  Abstract Cereal–legume intercropping has the potential to reduce the use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and increase forage yield and quality, however, how to optimize system design to fully realize interspecific complementary and enhance crop production in an annual and perennial crops intercropping was not well understood.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: intercropping abstract cereal legume potential reduce nitrogen fertilizer increase forage yield quality optimize system design
• Legume Performance and Nitrogen Acquisition Strategies in a Tree-Based Agroecosystem (2013) · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · cited 17× · doi

  Legume N2 fixation is a critical plant-mediated nutrient pathway highly dependent on site and management conditions, yet little is known of annual crop N2 fixation associated with established trees in tree-based intercropping systems.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: fixation legume critical plant mediated nutrient pathway highly dependent site management conditions little known annual
• Cereal-legume intercrops overlay doubled-up legumes in biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), water use efficiency (WUE) and crop productivity: A meta-analysis (2026) · African Journal of Agricultural Research · doi

  There is a gap in understanding the effects of cereal-legume intercropping on BNF, WUE, and yield. Prior work has focused on the effects of intercropping on crop productivity, but not specifically on BNF, WUE, and yield.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: there gap understanding effects cereal-legume intercropping bnf wue
• Organic nutrient integration and mulching as sustainable strategies for maize and cluster bean intercropping (2026) · Plant Science Today · doi

  There is a need to evaluate the effects of integrated organic nutrient management and mulching on maize and cluster bean intercropping. There is a lack of information on the most effective mulching practice and organic foliar spray for improving plant height and grain yield.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: there need evaluate effects integrated organic nutrient management
• Qualitative effects of pea and spring cereals intercrop in the organic farming systems (2009) · Agronomy Research

  The experimental evidence is still inconclusive to firmly suggest which of the intercrops could be more stable, however it indicates the benefits of legumes for spring crops grown together.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: experimental evidence still inconclusive firmly suggest intercrops stable indicates benefits legumes spring crops grown together
• Yield and nitrogen uptake of sole and intercropped maize and peanut in response to N fertilizer input (2019) · Food and Energy Security · cited 41× · doi

  Cereal/legume intercropping is a potential pathway to lower fertilizer inputs, but there is insufficient knowledge on the nitrogen (N) response in species mixtures.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: cereal legume intercropping potential pathway lower fertilizer inputs there insufficient knowledge nitrogen response species mixtures
• Agronomic and economic benefits of maize–legume intercropping under reduced fertilizer levels in Nepal (2026) · Discover Plants · doi

  There is a lack of research on maize-legume intercropping under reduced fertilizer levels in Nepal. The potential of intercropping to improve land productivity and farm income is not well understood.

  generalstated research gapevidence 3/5
  Keywords: there lack research maize-legume intercropping reduced fertilizer levels

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