The researchers studied how changing the sowing date and mixing rate of maize and lentil crops can affect their yield when grown together. They found that planting lentil earlier than maize and at a lower density can increase lentil biomass and grain yield. However, increasing the mixing rate of lentil can reduce maize biomass. The most profitable combination was sowing lentil 20 days earlier at 12.5% density with maize. This resulted in a higher Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) and Relative Value Total (RVT) index compared to other planting strategies. Overall, planting lentil earlier at a lower density alongside maize can improve crop yield in intercropping systems.