Intercropping is a common practice among small-scale farmers of common bean and maize in developing countries, but the agronomic performance of these crops is generally poor due inappropriate farming practices. This study evaluates the interactive effect of season, and mineral-organic fertilizers on soil fertility and agronomic performance of intercropped common bean-maize system. The field experiment was arranged in a split-split plot design, with the following combinations: season in the first (S1) and second (S2) seasons of 2022, mineral manures, NPK 14-23-14 and 20-10-10 applied at rates of 0, 300 (NPK14_300 and NPK20_300) and 600 kg. ha-1 (NPK14_600 and NPK20_600), and organic fertilizers; coffee parchment biochar applied at 2.5 t. ha-1 (Bio_2.5), poultry manure applied at 2.5 (FPP_2.5) and 5 (FPP_5.0) t.ha-1, and a control. The results showed that bean diameter, thousand-seed weight of maize, water pH and available phosphorus differed significantly (P < 0.05) when season (S), EM (mineral fertilizer) and EO (organic fertilizer) interacted. The NPK14_300 and NPK20_300 treatments were profitable and recommendable to smallholder farmers. In conclusion, integrated soil fertility management and cropping season are recommended in the study area and in other similar agro-ecology zone for increased, stable and sustainable production of intercropped maize-common beans system.

Keywords: Oxisol, organic manure; mineral fertilizer; season; Zea mays; Phaseolus vulgaris; Cameroon Western Highlands.