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Maize-legume intercropping is common in sub-Saharan Africa. Effects of legumes on the companion maize crop are determined principally by choice of legume species and relative introduction time. Performance of intercrops is optimized when legumes' planting is timed such that their peak growth phase occurs after maize harvest, with legumes utilizing the residual soil moisture.

We sought to understand the role of inter-specific competition for water in maize-pigeonpea and maize-lablab intercrops.

We analysed experimentally determined shoot biomass of sole and intercropped maize, lablab, long and medium- duration pigeonpea. Experiments were conducted in northern Tanzania for two consecutive seasons. The second season was drier (236 mm) than the first (551 mm). We constructed a parameter-sparse growth model, calibrated based on sole crops data. The model …