Legumes like mucuna and lablab can help increase maize grain yield in areas with poor soil nutrients. By studying different legume cropping systems and defoliation levels, researchers found that mucuna produced more leaf biomass, while lablab had more stem biomass. Defoliation affected leaf nitrogen accumulation differently in mucuna and lablab. Maize grain yield was higher when legume residue was applied for two consecutive years, with defoliated mucuna resulting in the highest yield. Overall, intercropping mucuna and lablab can boost maize grain yield, even when some legume biomass is removed. Residual nutrients from legume residue can improve maize yield in the following season compared to natural fallow.