Effect of Vigna radiata (Mung Bean) Cropping Systems Intercropped with Rice in a Smallholder Farming Environment in Tshilenge, KasaïOriental: Integrated Assessment of Agronomic, Ecological and Phytosanitary Performance

Abstract

Smallholder agriculture in developing countries, such as sub-Saharan Africa, represents about 80 to 90% of agricultural holdings, with an average area ranging from 0.5 to 2 hectares per household, and employs 60-70% of the active population, thus constituting the main source of employment. The present study aims to determine whether rice-Vigna radiata intercropping constitutes a sustainable and profitable alternative for family farmers. To this end, a field experiment was conducted in Tshilenge, specifically in the village of Bena-Ntanda (-6.130199, 23.432759 and 621m), using a Fisher complete randomized block design. In pure stands, mung beans (yellow and green cultivars) and rice (Nerica 4 variety) were sown at spacings of 0.20 m x 0.20 m with two seeds (mung bean) and four grains (rice) per hole, respectively. In intercropping, rice was sown one month before mung beans at spacings of 0.40 m x 0.20 m (4 grains per hole), while for Vigna radiata (yellow and green) spacings were 0.30 m x 0.20 m (2 seeds per hole). The rice-Vigna radiata cropping system represents a sustainable and profitable alternative for family farmers in smallholder farming environments. It has promoted increased vegetative growth in both mung bean and rice. Although a slight reduction in yield (13%) was observed for the two crops, the attack incidence was significantly lower in intercropping compared to pure stands. Thus, rice-Vigna radiata intercropping constitutes a simple, affordable (low-cost) agricultural practice that enables income diversification and enhances the resilience of production systems to climate change.