productive and economic performance of the maize–peanut intercropping system in the Carrizal river valley, Ecuador
Authors
-
Gema Mendoza Mendoza
Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4084-3481
-
Ronaldo Pincay Castro
Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9299-6867
-
Saskia Guillén Mendoza
Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1725-8548
-
George Cedeño-García
Universidad Técnica de Manabí
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8271-5752
-
Benny Avellán Cedeño
Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8271-5752
-
Galo Cedeño García
Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0927-5807
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33936/la_tecnica.v16i2.8429Keywords:
intercropping, maize–peanut system, productivity, economic return.Abstract
Intercropping production systems have increasingly been adopted as a sustainable alternative to monocropping. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate productive and economic performance of maize–peanut intercropping systems in the Carrizal River valley, Ecuador. Four treatments were assessed: T1 (50,000 maize plants + 125,000 peanut plants), T2 (62,500 maize plants + 125,000 peanut plants), T3 (62,500 maize plants in monoculture), and T4 (200,000 peanut plants in monoculture). The main variables recorded were maize grain yield (MGY) and peanut grain yield (PGY). Data were subjected to normality (Shapiro-Wilk, P>0.05) and homoscedasticity (Levene, P>0.05) tests, confirming compliance with parametric assumptions. Two separate analyses of variance were conducted: one including the maize treatments (T1, T2, and T3) and another including the peanut treatments (T1, T2, and T4). Additionally, an economic profitability analysis (EP) of the maize–peanut association was performed. MGY and PGY were significantly affected (P<0.05) by the evaluated treatments. The highest MGY per hectare was achieved by treatments T2 and T3, whereas the highest MGY per individual plant was observed in T1. Conversely, the highest PGY, both per hectare and per individual plant, was obtained under peanut monoculture (T4) compared to the intercropping treatments (T1 and T2). The highest economic profitability was achieved by the maize–peanut intercropping systems (T1 and T2), with returns exceeding 0.79 USD per dollar invested. Overall, the maize–peanut intercropping system represents an efficient alternative by integrating productivity and profitability.
Downloads
References
Altieri, M. A., Nicholls, C. I., Dinelli, G. and Negri, L. (2024). Towards an agroecological approach to crop health: reducing pest incidence through synergies between plant diversity and soil microbial ecology. Sustainable Agriculture, 2(6), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-024-00016-2
Ayvar-Serna, S., Díaz-Nájera, J. F., Vargas-Hernández, M., Mena-Bahena, A., Tejeda-Reyes, M. A. y Cuevas-Apresa, Z. (2020). Rentabilidad de sistemas de producción de grano y forraje de híbridos de maíz, con fertilización biológica y química en trópico seco. Terra Latinoamericana, 38(1), 9-16..https://doi.org/10.28940/terra.v38i1.507
Chen, F., Sun, Z., Zhang, L., Feng, L., Zheng, J., Bai, W., Gu, C., Wang, Q., Xu, Z. y van der Werf, W. (2021). Maize/peanut intercropping increases land productivity: A meta-analysis. Field Crops Research, 270, 108208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2021.108208
Codex Alimentarius Commission (1995). Codex standard for peanuts (CXS 200-1995). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations y World Health Organization. https://workspace.fao.org/sites/codex/Standards/CXS%20200-1995/CXS_200e.pdf
Dong, Q., Zhao, X., Zhou, D., Liu, Z., Shi, X., Yuan, Y., Jia, P., Liu, Y., Song, P., Wang, X., Jiang, C., Liu, X., Zhang, H., Zhong, C., Guo, F., Wan, S., Yu, H. and Zhang, Z. (2022). Maize and peanut intercropping improves the nitrogen accumulation and yield per plant of maize by promoting the secretion of flavonoids and abundance of Bradyrhizobium in rhizosphere. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13, 957336. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.957336
Elouattassi, Y., Ferioun, M., El Ghachtouli, N., Derraz, K. and Rachidi, F. (2023). Agroecological concepts and alternatives to the problems of contemporary agriculture: Monoculture and chemical fertilization in the context of climate change. Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development, 117(2), 41-98. https://doi.org/10.36253/jaeid-14672
Erenstein, O., Jaleta, M., Sonder, K., Mottaleb, K. A. and Prasanna, B. M. (2022). Global maize production, consumption and trade: Trends and R&D implications. Food Security, 14(5), 1295-1319. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-022-01288-7
Gelaye, Y. and Luo, H. (2024). Optimizing peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) production: Genetic insights, climate adaptation, and efficient management practices—A systematic review. Plants, 13(21), 2988. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13212988
Han, F., Javed, T., Hussain, S., Guo, S., Guo, R., Yang, L., Liu, X., Cai, T., Zhang, P., Jia, Z., Shah, A. A., Chen, X. and Ren, X. (2024). Maize/peanut rotation intercropping improves ecosystem carbon budget and economic benefits in the dry farming regions of China. Journal of Environmental Management, 353, 120090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120090
Hewelke, E., Weber, J., Mielnik, L., Spaccini, R., Gozdowski, D., Podlasiński, M., Ćwieląg-Piasecka, I., Jamróz, E., Jerzykiewicz, M., Perzanowska, A., Bogužas, V., Skinulienė, L. and Dębicka, M. (2026). Effect of 55 years of different soil management on soil physical properties and stability of soil organic matter. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 396, 110005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110005
Hu, J., Wan, L., Wang, Y., Dai, K., Butterbach-Bahl, K. and Lin, S. (2025). The decrease of soil microbial community diversity and network complexity results in the increase of soil-borne diseases with monocultural years in greenhouse tomato production systems. Environmental Microbiology Reports, 17(4), e70165. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-2229.70165
Inal, A., Gunes, A., Zhang, F. and Cakmak, I. (2007). Peanut/maize intercropping induced changes in rhizosphere and nutrient concentrations in shoots, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 45(5), 350-356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2007.03.016
Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) (2025). Módulo de Información Ambiental y Tecnificación Agropecuaria – MIATA – ESPAC 2024. Quito: INEC. https://www.ecuadorencifras.gob.ec
Jing, H., Liu, Y. and Hou, J. (2025). Impacts of agricultural intensification on biodiversity: Habitat loss, agrochemical use, water depletion, and soil degradation, Journal of Environmental Management, 395, 128036. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.128036
Khashi u Rahman, M., Saati-Santamaría, Z. and García-Fraile, P. (2025). Intercropping of non-leguminous crops improves soil biochemistry and crop productivity: a meta-analysis, New Phytologist, 246(3), 961-971. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70037
Li, P., Liu, J., Saleem, M., Li, G., Luan, L., Wu, M. and Li, Z. (2022). Reduced chemodiversity suppresses rhizosphere microbiome functioning in the mono-cropped agroecosystems. Microbiome, 10, 108. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-022-01287-y
Li, X., Yu, R. and Li, L. (2021). Intercropping sustainably increases yields and soil fertility, Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering, 8(4), 659-661. https://doi.org/10.15302/J-FASE-2021418
Li, Y., Wang, L., Zhao, B., Liu, P., Zhang, J., Dong, S. and Shi, D. (2023). Crop productivity, economic advantage, and photosynthetic characteristics in a corn-peanut intercropping system. Agronomy, 13(2), 509. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020509
Liu, X., Ma, X., Dou, P., Huang, K., Wang, X., Zhang, D., Kong, F. and Yuan, J. (2017). Effects of planting density on stem traits and yield of summer maize in central Sichuan hills. Chinese Journal of Eco-Agriculture, 25(3), pp. 356–364. https://doi.org/10.13930/j.cnki.cjea.160822
Liu, Z., Nan, Z., Lin, S., Meng, W., Xie, L., Yu, H., Zhang, Z. and Wan, S. (2023). Organ removal of maize increases peanut canopy photosynthetic capacity, dry matter accumulation, and yield in maize/peanut intercropping. Frontiers in Plant Science, 14, 1266969. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1266969
López, G., Gaiser, T., Ewert, F. and Srivastava, A. (2021). Effects of recent climate change on maize yield in Southwest Ecuador. Atmosphere, 12(3), 299. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12030299
Matailo-Ramírez, L., Luna Romero, Á. E., Chabla Carrillo, J. E. y Gálvez Palomeque, P. A. (2023). Modelización del rendimiento con Aquacrop-FAO en el cultivo de maní (Arachis hypogaea L.), Ecuador. Manglar, 20(1), 51-58. https://doi.org/10.57188/manglar.2023.006
Mendes, N. M., Nunes, Y. C., de Lima, E. P., Chehadi, A. C., Otoboni, A. M., Miola, V. F. B., Barbalho, S. M. y Fornari, L. L. (2025). Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) in food industry and their benefits for human health: A review of the current literatura. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 143, 107574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2025.107574
Mera, J. L. A., Vinces, L. M. G., Murillo, D. M. S. y Chilán, G. R. M. (2021). The monoculture of corn (Zea mays) and its impact on soil fertility. International Journal of Chemical & Material Sciences, 4(1), 7-12. https://doi.org/10.31295/ijcms.v4n1.1649
Parambil-Peedika, A., Laing, A., Gathala, M. K., Cariappa, A. A. G. and Krishna, V. V. (2025). Agroecological impacts of crop residue burning: A qualitative systematic review of direct and inferred evidence. Science of the Total Environment, 994, 179963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179963
Rakotomalala, A. A. N. A., Ficiciyan, A. M. and Tscharntke, T. (2023). Intercropping enhances beneficial arthropods and controls pests: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 356, 108617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108617
Sánchez Arizo, V. H. y Fernández Sastre, J. (2020). El efecto de los paquetes tecnológicos en la productividad del maíz en Ecuador. Problemas del Desarrollo. Revista Latinoamericana de Economía, 51(203), 85-110. https://doi.org/10.22201/iiec.20078951e.2020.203.69527
Tang, L., Ma, W., Noor, M. A., Li, L., Hou, H., Zhang, X. and Zhao, M. (2018). Density resistance evaluation of maize varieties through new “Density–Yield Model”. Scientific Reports, 8, 17281. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35275-w
Vieira, R. A., Uhdre, R., Scapim, C. A. and van Becelaere, G. (2025). Global corn area from 1960 to 2030: Patterns, trends and implications. Journal of Agricultural Science, 163(3), 295-306. https://doi.org/10.1017/S002185962500019X
Wang, J., Zhang, H., Yu, H., Wang, X., Zhao, X., Li, S., Liu, X. y Zhou, D. (2025). Maize/peanut strip intercropping improves yield stability and potassium use efficiency. European. Journal of Agronomy, 169, 127682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2025.127682
Xia, H., Wang, L., Xue, Y., Kong, W., Xue, Y., Yu, R., Xu, H., Wang, X., Wang, J., Liu, Z. and Guo, X. (2019). Impact of increasing maize densities on agronomic performances. Agronomy, 9(3), 150. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9030150
Xie, L., Su, B.-J., Zhang, Y.-N., Zhang, D.-S., Han, J.-J., Li, H.-M., Feng, W.-J., Du, T.-Q., Cui, F.-Z. y Xue, J.-F. (2025). Optimizing plant density and row spacing enhances growth, yield and quality of waxy maize on the Loess Plateau, Plants, 14(18), 2902. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14182902
Yan, Z., Wang, J., Liu, Y., You, Z., Zhang, J., Guo, F., Gao, H., Li, L. y Wan, S. (2023). Maize/peanut intercropping reduces carbon footprint size. Agronomy, 13(5), 1343.: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13051343
Ye, D., Chen, J., Yu, Z., Sun, Y., Gao, W., Wang, X., Zhang, R., Zaib-Un-Nisa, Su, D. and Muneer, M. A. (2023). Optimal plant density improves sweet maize fresh ear yield. Agronomy, 13(11), 2830.: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13112830
Zambrano Montesdeoca, J. L., Palacios Cedeño, N. M., Bravo Sánchez, D. M. y Alava Mendoza, M. J. (2024). Producción de maní y su impacto en la economía del Ecuador. Revista de Ciencias Sociales, 30(4), 323-338. https://doi.org/10.31876/rcs.v30i4.43000
Zhang, J., Wang, X., Li, Y., Yu, Z., Zhang, R., Yin, B. and Wang, H. (2026). A meta-analysis of the effects of increased planting density on maize yield in Northeast China. Plants, 15(4), 544. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15040544
Zhang, Y., Sun, Z., Feng, C., Du, G., Feng, L., Bai, W., Zhang, Z., Zhang, D., Yang, J., Li, C., Yang, S., Cai, Q., Dong, Z., Zhang, X., Li, X., van der Werf, W. and Zhang, L. (2025a). Intercropping maize and peanut under semi-arid conditions is a zero-sum game. Field Crops Research, 326, 109833. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109833
Zhang, L., Wei, S., Xiang, H. and Yu, X. (2025b). Monocropping degrades soil quality index. Agronomy, 15(6), 1461. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061461
Zhang, Y., Zhao, F., Sun, Z., Bai, W., Zhang, Z., Feng, C. and Cai, Q. (2024). Effects of maize/peanut intercropping on yield and nitrogen uptake. Agriculture, 14(6), 893. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14060893
Zhao, X., Dong, Q., Han, Y., Zhang, K., Shi, X., Yang, X., Yuan, Y., Zhou, D., Wang, K., Wang, X., Jiang, C., Liu, X., Zhang, H., Zhang, Z. and Yu, H. (2022). Maize/peanut intercropping improves nutrient uptake. BMC Microbiology, 22, 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-021-02425-6
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Gema Mendoza Mendoza, Ronaldo Pincay Castro, Saskia Guillén Mendoza, George Cedeño-García, Benny Avellán Cedeño, Galo Cedeño García
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
