Phosphate fertilizer use in maize-bean cropping systems in Western Kenya was studied to see how different crop arrangements and phosphorus rates affect yields and profits. The researchers found that increasing phosphorus rate led to higher bean yields in both seasons. Maize yields also increased with phosphorus rate in one of the seasons. Conventional and Mbili crop arrangements had similar yields, which were better than the SH arrangement with high phosphorus. Sole beans gave higher yields than intercropped ones. Intercropping was only beneficial with enough rainfall in one season, but overall, financial returns were low due to low yields, high costs, and low prices.