Carbon Accumulation, Soil Microbial and Enzyme Activities in Elephant Foot Yam-Based Intercropping System

Intercropping is a sustainable, eco-friendly, and economically beneficial cropping system. Elephant foot yam (EFY), multifarious long-duration vegetable, takes 60 days or more to spread its canopy. Hence, this research assessed the impact of intercropping short duration vegetables, viz., cluster bean, radish, Amaranthus, fenugreek, in elephant for two seasons (2021 2021/22). It included analysis parameters such as carbon accumulation, soil chemical properties, nutrient, enzyme, microbial activities. The findings revealed that both there was significant (p < 0.01) rise all examined patterns. Cluster bean (legume) outperformed other intercrops utilised. Overall, accumulation improved by 54.40% when beans were intercropped EFY. increased enzyme activities rhizosphere organic carbon, biomass nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium 31, 42, 28, 37, 11%, respectively, compared sole crop. A positive correlation observed between microbes activity with properties. As result, concludes EFY promotes nutrients, enzymes, community, which, turn, favour productivity yam.