Declining soil properties have triggered lower maize yields among smallholder famers in South Africa. Legume trees such as pigeonpea can be used as improved fallows to replenish degraded soils. The objectives of the study were to: (1) examine the effects of improved pigeonpea fallows on enhancing biological, physical soil properties and maize yield responses and (2), analyze the relationship of maize grain yield to biological and physical soil properties after improved pigeonpea fallows at Wartburg, South Africa. Pigeonpea fallows were established in 2015/16 season and terminated in 2017 and subsequently maize was planted. A randomized complete block design replicated three times was used with five treatments: continuous sole maize without fertilizer (T1), natural fallow then maize (T2), pigeonpea + grass—pigeonpea then maize (T3), maize + pigeonpea—pigeonpea then maize (T4), two-year pigeonpea fallow then maize (T5). Improved pigeonpea fallows increased maize yields through improvement in soil macrofauna species abundance, richness and diversity, aggregate stability, infiltration rate. Pigeonpea fallows increased maize yield by 3.2 times than continuous maize without fertilizer. The maize grain yield (3787 kg ha⁻¹), was the highest on two-year pigeonpea fallows while continuous maize without fertilizer had the least (993 kg ha⁻¹). There was a significant positive correlation between soil macrofauna indices and physical soil properties to maize yields. Smallholders who have limited access to fertilizers can sustainably use improved fallows to restore degraded soils to achieve higher maize yields in South Africa.

土壤特性的下降导致南非小农户的玉米单产下降。豆科植物如木豆可以用作改良的休耕地，以补充退化的土壤。该研究的目的是：（1）研究改良的木豆休耕对增强生物，物理土壤特性和玉米产量响应的影响；（2）分析改良的木豆后玉米籽粒产量与生物学和物理土壤特性的关系。南非瓦尔特堡的休闲胜地。在2015/16季节建立了木豆休闲区，并于2017年终止，随后种植了玉米。使用五次处理的随机完整整块设计重复三次，进行五种处理：不施用肥料的连续唯一玉米（T1），天然休闲草然后是玉米（T2），木豆+草-白鸽豌豆然后是玉米（T3），玉米+木豆-木豆然后玉米（T4），两年木瓜休耕然后玉米（T5）。通过改善土壤大型动物物种的丰度，丰富度和多样性，团聚体稳定性和渗透率，改良的木豆休耕提高了玉米产量。木豆休耕的玉米产量比不施肥的连续玉米提高了3.2倍。玉米单产（3787公斤/公顷）^-1）在两年的木豆休耕期最高，而连续玉米不施肥最少（993 kg ha ^-1）。土壤大型动物指数与土壤物理性质与玉米产量之间存在显着的正相关。肥料有限的小农户可以可持续地使用改良的休耕地来恢复退化的土壤，从而在南非获得更高的玉米单产。