Maximizing the potential of push-pull technology through nursery-raised desmodium intortum

Abstract

Push-pull technology is an agroecological cropping system that involves intercropping a cereal crop and a legume of the genus Desmodium spp., (push), surrounded with Brachiaria grass (pull) on the border. The system has been documented to control fall armyworm/stemborers, suppresses Striga hermonthica, improves soil fertility and provide fodder. Despite these benefits, adoption of push-pull is constrained by several challenges, including the high cost of seeds, low germination rates, and poor establishment under direct field conditions. This study evaluated the effects of three propagation methods (nursery-raised seed propagation, nursery-raised vegetative propagation, and direct field seeding) on Desmodium biomass productivity. The study also compared soil microclimate conditions and arthropod diversity between push-pull and maize monocrop. The experiments were conducted on eight farms in Western Kenya, with four farms each in Vihiga and Kisumu counties. Propagation methods significantly impacted push-pull performance, improved Desmodium biomass productivity and improved soil microclimate conditions. Vegetatively propagated Desmodium produced the highest biomass, followed by nursery-raised seed propagation, while directly seeded plots resulted in the lowest biomass. Maize monocrop plots recorded the highest soil temperatures and the lowest soil moisture content. Push-pull plots supported a higher abundance of arthropods than maize monocrop plots, although arthropod diversity did not differ significantly between the systems. These findings indicate that vegetative propagation enhances Desmodium productivity. High-biomass push-pull systems buffer soil temperature and conserve soil moisture, thereby strengthening the resilience of farming systems.