The data set were generated through on-farm field trials that were established in Maluti-a-Phofung municipality, situated in the eastern Free State province of South Africa as part of a project entitled" Innovations in Technology, Institutional and Extension Approaches towards Sustainable Agriculture and enhanced Food and Nutrition Security in Africa (Acronym-InnovAfrica)". This project was implemented by a consortium of 16 institutions from Africa and Europe continents across six African countries (viz. Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania) from June 2017 to November 2021. Farmer-led trials were established for three planting seasons (2017/2018 to 2019/2020) to demonstrate, test and upscale the best-bet sustainable agricultural intensification practices for improved food and nutrition security in smallholder settings.

The main treatments evaluated were the sole maize, sole dry beans, maize-beans intercropping combined with locally available improved seeds and good agronomic practices using a split-plot design with no replicates. Maize was planted as soon as possible after the rains on-set (Mid-November to Mid-December) while dry beans were planted from Mid-November to Mid-January. The 3:2:1 (28) fertilizer was applied at 200 kg/ha to supply essential plant nutrients. The spacing of 90 cm between rows, 25 cm between plants, and 2 seeds per hole for maize which was thinned to 1 plant per station after emergence was used. The spacing of 90 cm between rows, 5 cm between stations, and 1 seed per station was used for dry beans. The Metolachlor was applied as a pre-emergence herbicide during planting to suppress the weeds and prevent weed competition during the first 6 to 8 weeks after emergence. A tractor-drawn planter was used for seeding, fertilization, spraying of pesticides and herbicides during planting where possible. Weeding was done manually using hand hoes and all plots were harvested at maturity. Soil samples were collected before each planting season for fertility analysis. In addition, climate data were acquired from the nearby weather stations of the Agricultural Research Council. Data were first collected using paper-based printed farmer’ field books and later compiled in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

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