The experimental treatments comprised all combinations of the maize and peas cultivars and their respective sole crops, giving eight treatments.
The lowest maize yield harvested in 1996/97 under sole maize was attributed to leaching and water logging due to excessive rainfall and lodging.
However, it was not financially attractive for smallholder farmers to intercrop compared with growing low input sole crop maize.
Another explanation could be the lack in maize of specific signal sequences for the transport to phloem sap.
These conditions are met in cross-pollinated crops such as maize.
Reasons for abandoning the trial included sickness of the farmer and the desire to grow crops other than maize at the experimental site.
Households reduced the production of other crops, with the largest reductions in sorghum and maize production.
These include commercial maize production, horticulture, tree crops, dairy, and cattle ranching.
