In developing countries, intercropping is commonly used to boost land productivity and agricultural benefits. However, in the Yucatan region of Mexico, maize (Zea mays L.) yields remain low, despite consistent fertilizer and pesticide inputs in traditional intercropping systems. Furthermore, little is known about the photosynthetic mechanisms that occur when maize plants interact with legumes, and there is a lack of understanding of how intercropping systems affect other organisms in the system, such as beneficial and insect pest population dynamics. A field experiment was carried out on the Yucatan Peninsula in 2021 to assess the impact of maize–legume intercropping systems on maize yield, physiological characteristics as evaluated by gas exchange measurements, and the abundance of beneficial insects in traditional and novel maize intercropping systems. The experiment was carried out with a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Treatments included maize intercropped with a novel legume, crotalaria (Crotalaria juncea L.), maize intercropped with a traditional legume, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.), and sole maize as a control. Significant differences in plant height were shown at growth stages V12 (45 days after sowing) and VT (60 days after sowing). No differences were observed in stem diameter, leaf area index, or chlorophyll content. The maize/cowpea intercrop increased the photosynthesis rate by 12.9% and 9.84% in the maize/crotalaria and sole maize, respectively (p < 0.001), and transpiration rate by 6.5% and 8.5% in the maize intercropped with crotalaria and sole maize treatments, respectively (p < 0.001), of maize plants. No significant effects on stomatal conductance or water use efficiency were observed, but the carbon intercellular rate was reduced by 9.74% and 9.15 when compared to the maize/crotalaria and the sole maize treatments, respectively. Overall, intercropping treatments attracted more beneficial insects than sole maize. For predators, the families that stood out were Coccinelidae, Formicidae, Araneidae, Thomisidae, Syrphidae, Chrysomelidae, Oxypidae, Vespidae, Reduviidae, Carabidae, Asilidae, Salthicidae, Dolichopodidae, while among parasitoids, the most frequent families were Eurytomydae, Braconidae, Tachinidae, Pteromalidae, Scelionidae, and Figitidae. In comparison to the maize/cowpea and maize/crotalaria treatments, the sole maize treatment resulted in a grain yield increase of 24.5% and 32%, respectively. However, sole maize was not statistically different to that of maize/cowpea intercropping. In conclusion, our findings suggest that maize/cowpea intercropping could be a viable alternative to sole maize cropping systems for enhancing maize yield and the abundance of beneficial insects, without increasing interspecific competition with the maize crop. Therefore, the maize/cowpea intercropping system represents a sustainable planting alternative for promoting maize grain yield and also promoting edible legume production within the system. Furthermore, the outcomes of this study can serve as a theoretical framework for increasing maize–legume intercropping profitability under growing conditions on the Yucatan Peninsula.

In many parts of the world, chemical pesticides are the primary method of pest control in maize (Zea mays L.) crops. Concerns about the negative consequences of chemical pesticide use on people’s health and the environment, as well as the emergence of insecticide resistance, have accelerated attempts to discover alternatives that are effective, low-risk, and cost-effective. Maize-legume intercropping systems are known to have multiple benefits to agroecosystem functioning, including pest regulation. This review focuses on the influence of maize-legume intercropping systems on insect diversity and abundance as a mechanism for insect pest regulation in maize crops. First, this review combines knowledge of maize-legume intercrops, with a particular emphasis on the mechanism by which this practice attracts beneficial insects (e.g., predators, parasitoids) to reduce pest damage in intercropping systems. In addition, the pairings of specific legume species with the greatest potential to attract more beneficial insects and therefore reduce maize pests are also discussed. Finally, future research needs are also recommended. Findings are reviewed in the context of looking for long-term management strategies that can increase the adoption of integrated pest management programs in maize-based production systems.

Intercropping is the process of planting two or more crops simultaneously in the same field in order to provide greater ecosystem services (i.e. services related to sustainable land and water use, climate change mitigation, and ecosystem restoration). In southern Mexico, the cereal-legume intercropping is a traditional cropping practice that is declining overtime. This paper provides a literature review of the potential benefits and constraints of a maize-legume intercropping for small-scale farms in southern Mexico. This review explored and elucidated the different ecosystem services delivered by maize-legume intercropping systems. This information will help farmers know how to make a better use of cereal-legume intercropping systems to increase maize yields, improve their socioeconomic conditions, and enhance conservation agricultural practices in southern Mexico.

Intercropping is extensively used to increase land productivity and agricultural benefits. In developing countries, intercropping has historically been one of the most widely used cropping systems. Crop models have been used to assess risk productivity over time and space, particularly in monocropping systems. Crop models, such as the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT), have been widely used to improve crop growth, development, and yield predictions; however, this model has some limitations when assessing interspecific competition in intercropping systems (e.g., it does not have a subroutine capable of running two crops simultaneously). Therefore, in this study, we developed a new approach to allow DSSAT to run two crop species in intercropping systems. A light interception algorithm and modified source code were integrated into the DSSAT to simulate the relay-strip intercropping system. The intercrop model developed in this study is the first intercrop model for DSSAT. This model is generic and can be employed to build other cereal–legume intercrop models for DSSAT Version 4.8. Regarding risk assessment of crop production, the model can evaluate long-term cereal–legume intercrop yields in low-input cropping systems. Therefore, before officially launching the new model in DSSAT, more field trials are recommended to rigorously evaluate and improve the model with data from different environments. The intercrop model developed in this study is simple, so this modeling approach can be employed to develop other cereal–noncereal intercrop models.

Intercropping constitutes the traditional farming system practice used in various forms for maize production in the Yucatan peninsula. Although practiced for centuries, problems persist with competition for water, nutrients and light between crop species in traditional farming systems. Furthermore, little is known about farmers’ perceptions regarding changes to traditional maize-legume intercropping systems and their interest in novel crop adoption to increase yields in the system while maintaining the practice. The objective of this study was to investigate the maize-based traditional cropping system by assessing the underlying motives and concepts of farmers to practice intercropping in the Yucatan Peninsula and to examine the association between farmers’ level of knowledge about legumes and decisions to adopt intercropping and related practices therein. Farmer surveys were conducted in nine different regions of the Yucatan Peninsula. We selected Xoy, Euan, Muna, Mama, Tahdziú (Yucatan), Becal, Hecelchacam, Dzitbalché and San Antonio Sahcabchén (Campeche) which are representative of agroecological small-scale farming systems. We used a mixed methods case study analysis involving key informant interviews in eight associations of farmers. A sample frame with 73 farmers was selected in total during February 2021 and April 2021. Basic information such as land use, labor inputs, agricultural production and farmer’s perceptions regarding their intercropping systems were collected. Our research shows that the primary motives for intercropping were due to the ability of intercropping to offer a more diversified range of food for human and animal consumption, as well as to take advantage of different harvest periods that this practice offers. The majority of respondents were likely to favor the idea of introducing new legume species in their maize-based cropping systems. Factors such as the type of cropping system (i.e., intercropping or monocropping), access to water and level of knowledge about legumes influenced their decision to adopt intercropping in their farming systems considerably. This paper contributes to the knowledge on the current state and farmers’ perceptions of intercropping systems in the Yucatan Peninsula.