DOI: 10.5061/dryad.ksn02v7dk
title: Data from: Yield, growth, and labor demands of growing maize, beans, and squash in monoculture versus the Three Sisters

description: Many Native American communities have historically grown maize, beans, and
 squash in polyculture as the Three Sisters because of the reciprocal
 ecological benefits the species provide each other and the surrounding
 environment. For instance, archaeological remains indicate that the
 Catawba Indian Nation had grown the Three Sisters for hundreds of years
 before experiencing the expansion of the colonial market economy, a
 smallpox epidemic, and the drastic loss of land. As a result, they have
 lost extensive traditional ecological knowledge as it pertains to
 farming. To support the Catawba Indian Nation’s food sovereignty
 initiatives, we assess the yield and labor demands of growing their
 traditional variety of maize, beans, and squash plants in the Three
 Sisters planting design versus in monoculture conditions. While
 total Maize yield was highest in monoculture, plants grew larger, had
 higher survival, and produced greater yield per plant and per unit area of
 land in the Three Sisters. Squash yield was highest in monoculture.
 Trellising bean plants in monoculture required the most labor, yet,
 altogether, yield per hour of labor was higher in monoculture than in the
 Three Sisters. Ultimately, the most appropriate farming strategy for the
 Catawba Indian Nation to use will depend on their priorities (e.g.,
 maximizing the production of one species versus producing a balanced
 diet). We discuss the challenges managers of small farms face when
 considering traditional vs. modern agricultural methods and describe how a
 respectful partnership between the Catawba Nation and Davidson College
 expanded and enhanced the outcomes of this study.
description: Data were collected from a field experiment conducted at the
 Catawba Indian Nation's Black Snake Farm, Rock Hill, SC, 29730
 (34°55'10.5"N, 80°53'45.1"W) during the growing season
 in 2023.
description: # Data from: Yield, growth, and labor demands of growing maize, beans, and
 squash in monoculture versus the Three Sisters
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ksn02v7dk](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ksn02v7dk) ## Description of the data and file structure **Corresponding Authors:** 1\)    Susana Wadgymar, Davidson College, Biology ([suwadgymar@davidson.edu](mailto:suwadgymar@davidson.edu)) 2\)    Ty Cryan, Davidson College, Environmental Studies ([ptcryan8@gmail.com](mailto:ptcryan8@gmail.com)) Data Collection Dates: May 9th, 2023 - October 31st, 2023 **Location:** Black Snake Farm, Rock Hill, SC, 29730 (34°55'10.5"N, 80°53'45.1"W) **Data Files:** 1\)    Bed_Yield_and_Labor: The compiled yield and labor data for each bed. 2\)    Focal_Maize_Data: Growth and yield data from the focal maize plants. ### Files and variables #### File: Bed_Yield_and_Labor_-_Sheet1.csv **Description:** The compiled yield and labor data for each bed. Variables/ columns: 14 Cases/ rows: 34 | Variable Name | Unit | Description | | :---------------- | :---------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Treatment | Categorical | Classified each bed as either Three Sisters (3SI) or monoculture (Mono). | | Species | Categorical | Clarifies the species (Maize, Squash, or Bean) of each bed. Each Three Sisters bed will have one row for each species. | | Treatment-Species | Categorical | Concatenation of the Treatment and Species column. | | Bed | Categorical | The name assigned to each bed: ranges from A1-C7 for a total of 21 beds. | | Mass\_lbs | lbs | The total harvest mass of each species per bed. | | Harvester | Categorical | The name of who harvested the bed. Marked as communal if more than two people contributed to the harvest. | | Harvest\_Labor | Hours | The amount of time spent harvesting each species from each bed. | | Weeding | Hours | Total time spent weeding, but recorded at the treatment-species level, so only four values recorded for this column. | | Planting | Hours | Total time spent planting, but recorded at the treatment-species level, so only four values recorded for this column. | | Watering | Hours | Total time spent watering, but recorded at the treatment-species level, so only four values recorded for this column. | | Pest | Hours | Total time spent implementing pest control measures, but recorded at the treatment-species level, so only four values recorded for this column. | | Total\_Labor | Hours | The aggregate of all labor averaged over the total number of beds per treatment-species. | | Seeds | count | The total number of seeds planted per bed. | | Germination | count | The total number of seeds that visibility germinated per bed. | #### File: Focal_Maize_Data_-_Corn_Height_Data_Sheet_R.csv **Description:** Growth and yield data from the focal maize plants. ##### Variables/columns: 13 Cases/rows: 721 | **Variable Name** | **Units** | **Description** | | :---------------- | :---------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Plant | Categorical | The ID number of the focal maize plant from 1-60 | | Treatment | Categorical | The treatment of the focal maize plant, either Three Sisters (3SI) or monoculture (Mono). | | Bed | Categorical | The bed ID for each focal plant from A1-C7. | | Day | Ordinal | The numeric day of the year of data collection. | | Date | Ordinal | The date of data collection. | | Height | Centimeters | Height of the maize plant. | | StemDiameter | Centimeters | Width of the maize stem above the first set of brace roots. | | Tillers | Count | The number of stalks on each maize plant, including the main stem. For example, 1 tiller = just the main stem. | | DeadTillers | Count | Recorded on the final day of maize growth measurements as we noticed tiller numbers were decreasing. The number of tillers visibly shriveled and brown around the stalk. | | Tassel | Binary | Recorded only on August, 2nd. A simple yes/no if a focal plant had begun producing pollen. | | Down | Binary | A yes/no of if the maize plant had been blown over in a recent storm. | | HarvestMass | Lbs | The total harvest mass (including the husk) from each of the focal plants | | ProducedSeed | Binary | A yes/no tally of if a maize plant produced seeds. | ## Code/software This data can be viewed in excel or any standard data file viewer.