1
|
Jamali ZH, Ali S, Qasim M, Song C, Anwar M, Du J, Wang Y. Assessment of molybdenum application on soybean physiological characteristics in maize-soybean intercropping. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1240146. [PMID: 37841600 PMCID: PMC10570528 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1240146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Soybean is a leguminous crop known for its efficient nitrogen utilization and ease of cultivation. However, its intercropping with maize may lead to severe reduction in its growth and yield due to shading effect of maize. This issue can be resolved by the appropriate application of essential plant nutrient such as molybdenum (Mo). Aim of this study was to assess the effect of Mo application on the morphological and physiological characteristics of soybean intercropped with maize. A two-year field experiment was conducted for this purpose, and Mo was applied in the form of sodium molybdate (Na2MoO4), and four different levels were maintained i.e., 0, 60, 120 and 180 g ha-1. Soybean exhibited varying responses to different levels of molybdenum (Mo) application. Notably, in both sole and intercropped cropping systems, the application of Mo at a rate of 120 g ha-1 demonstrated the highest level of promise compared to other application levels. However, most significant outcomes were pragmatic in soybean-maize intercropping, as application of Mo @ 120 g ha-1 significantly improved soybean growth and yield attributes, including leaf area index (LAI; 434 and 441%), total plant biomass (430 and 461%), transpiration rate (15 and 18%), stomatal conductance (9 and 11%), and yield (15 and 20%) during year 2020 and 2021 respectively, as compared to control treatment. Similarly, Mo @ 120 g ha-1 application resulted in highest total grain yield (626.0 and 725.3 kg ha-1) during 2020 and 2021 respectively, which exceeded the grain yields of other Mo levels under intercropping. Moreover, under Mo application level (120 g ha-1), grain NPK and Mo contents during years 2020 and 2021 were found to be 1.15, 0.22, 0.83 and 68.94 mg kg-1, and 1.27, 0.25, 0.90 and 72.18 mg kg-1 under intercropping system increased the value as compared to control treatment. Findings of current study highlighted the significance of Mo in enhancing soybean growth, yield, and nutrient uptake efficiency in maize-soybean intercropping systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Shahzaib Ali
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Muhammad Qasim
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chun Song
- College of Environmental Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Muhammad Anwar
- School of Tropical Agriculture and forestry, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Junbo Du
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Wang
- College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Xiao X, Han L, Chen H, Wang J, Zhang Y, Hu A. Intercropping enhances microbial community diversity and ecosystem functioning in maize fields. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1084452. [PMID: 36687629 PMCID: PMC9846038 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1084452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and aims Intercropping, a widely used planting pattern, could affect soil physicochemical properties, microbial community diversity, and further crop yields. However, its impacts on soil microbial diversity and ecosystem functioning and further soil sustainability are poorly understood. Methods We conducted field experiments by intercropping maize with four important crops (i.e., sesame, peanut, soybean, and sweet potato), and examined soil microbial community diversity and ecosystem functioning such as microbial biomass and enzyme activities under monocropping and intercropping. We quantified their intercropping effects on microbial diversity and ecosystem functions with effect size metric Cohen d by comparing to the monocropping of maize. Results We found that the four intercropping systems significantly increased soil aggregates in respective of the 2-0.25 mm grain size. Intercropping consistently elevated ecosystem functioning, such as soil enzyme activities of urease, phosphatase, and catalase, soil microbial biomass carbon and soil microbial biomass nitrogen. The Cohen d of bacterial richness also increased from 0.39 to 2.36, the latter of which was significant for maize/peanut intercropping. Notably, these ecosystem functions were strongly associated with the diversity of bacteria and fungi and the relative abundance of their ecological clusters identified with network analysis. Conclusion Together, our findings indicate that intercropping generally affected soil physicochemical properties, ecosystem functions, and promoted microbial community diversity. More importantly, our findings highlight the important roles of microbial diversity of ecological clusters (that is, network modules) in maintaining ecosystem functioning after intercropping. These results will help to better understand the microbial diversity and ecosystem function in intercropping systems and guide agricultural practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiwen Xiao
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Lei Han
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Hongri Chen
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Jianjun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academic of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuping Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China,*Correspondence: Yuping Zhang, ; Ang Hu,
| | - Ang Hu
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China,*Correspondence: Yuping Zhang, ; Ang Hu,
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Raza MA, Yasin HS, Gul H, Qin R, Mohi Ud Din A, Khalid MHB, Hussain S, Gitari H, Saeed A, Wang J, Rezaei-Chiyaneh E, Sabagh AE, Manzoor A, Fatima A, Ahmad S, Yang F, Skalicky M, Yang W. Maize/soybean strip intercropping produces higher crop yields and saves water under semi-arid conditions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1006720. [PMID: 36407615 PMCID: PMC9667818 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1006720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable increases in crop production require efficient use of resources, and intercropping can improve water use efficiency and land productivity at reduced inputs. Thus, in a three-year field experiment, the performance of maize/soybean strip intercropping system differing with maize plant density (6 maize plants m-2, low, D1; 8 maize plants m-2, medium, D2; and 10 maize plants m-2, high, D3) was evaluated in comparison with sole maize or soybean cropping system. Results revealed that among all intercropping treatments, D2 had a significantly higher total leaf area index (maize LAI + soybean LAI; 8.2), total dry matter production (maize dry matter + soybean dry matter; 361.5 g plant-1), and total grain yield (maize grain yield + soybean grain yield; 10122.5 kg ha-1) than D1 and D3, and also higher than sole maize (4.8, 338.7 g plant-1, and 9553.7 kg ha-1) and sole soybean (4.6, 64.8 g plant-1, and 1559.5 kg ha-1). The intercropped maize was more efficient in utilizing the radiation and water, with a radiation use efficiency of 3.5, 5.2, and 4.3 g MJ-1 and water use efficiency of 14.3, 16.2, and 13.3 kg ha-1 mm-1, while that of intercropped soybean was 2.5, 2.1, and 1.8 g MJ-1 and 2.1, 1.9, and 1.5 kg ha-1 mm-1 in D1, D2, and D3, respectively. In intercropping, the land and water equivalent ratios ranged from 1.22 to 1.55, demonstrating that it is a sustainable strategy to improve land and water use efficiencies; this maximization is likely associated with the species complementarities for radiation, water, and land in time and space, which resulted in part from competition avoidance responses that maximize the economic profit (e. g., 1300 US $ ha-1 in D2) over sole maize (798 US $ ha-1) or sole soybean (703 US $ ha-1). Overall, these results indicate that optimizing strip intercropping systems can save 20-50% of water and land, especially under the present scenario of limited resources and climate change. However, further research is required to fully understand the resource capture mechanisms of intercrops in intercropping.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ali Raza
- National Research Center of Intercropping, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Hassan Shehryar Yasin
- National Research Center of Intercropping, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Hina Gul
- National Center for Industrial Biotechnology, Pir Mehar Ali Shah-Arid Agricultural University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Ruijun Qin
- Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Oregon State University, Hermiston, OR, United States
| | - Atta Mohi Ud Din
- National Research Center of Intercropping, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Muhammad Hayder Bin Khalid
- National Research Center of Intercropping, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sajad Hussain
- National Research Center of Intercropping, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Harun Gitari
- Department of Agricultural Science and Technology, School of Agriculture and Enterprise Development, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Amjed Saeed
- National Research Center of Intercropping, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Jun Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Science, Northwest University, Xian, China
| | - Esmaeil Rezaei-Chiyaneh
- Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
| | - Ayman El Sabagh
- Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Siirt University, Siirt, Turkey
| | - Amir Manzoor
- National Research Center of Intercropping, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Akash Fatima
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif-University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Shakeel Ahmad
- Department of Agronomy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Feng Yang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Milan Skalicky
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Wenyu Yang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Huss CP, Holmes KD, Blubaugh CK. Benefits and Risks of Intercropping for Crop Resilience and Pest Management. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 115:1350-1362. [PMID: 35452091 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toac045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
To combat climate change, farmers must innovate through ecological intensification to boost food production, increase resilience to weather extremes, and shrink the carbon footprint of agriculture. Intercropping (where alternative crops or noncrop plants are integrated with cash crops) can strengthen and stabilize agroecosystems under climate change by improving resource use efficiency, enhancing soil water holding capacity, and increasing the diversity and quality of habitat for beneficial insects that provide pollination services and natural pest control. Despite these benefits, intercropping has yet to be widely adopted due to perceived risks and challenges including decreased crop yield, increased management complexity, a steep learning curve for successful management, and increased susceptibility to pests. Here, we explore the major benefits of intercropping in agricultural systems for pest control and climate resilience reported in 24 meta-analyses, while addressing risks and barriers to implementation. Most studies demonstrate clear benefits of intercropping for weed, pathogen, insect pest control, relative yield, and gross profitability. However, relatively few studies document ecosystem services conferred by intercrops alongside labor costs, which are key to economic sustainability for farmers. In addition to clearer demonstrations of the economic viability of intercropping, farmers also need strong technical and financial support during the adoption process to help them troubleshoot the site-specific complexities and challenges of managing polycultures. Ecological intensification of agriculture requires a more strategic approach than simplified production systems and is not without risks and challenges. Calibrating incentive programs to reduce financial burdens of risk for farmers could promote more widespread adoption of intercropping.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C P Huss
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, 120 Cedar Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - K D Holmes
- Cornell University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - C K Blubaugh
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, 120 Cedar Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Singh D, Mathimaran N, Sekar J, Ramalingam PV, Perisamy Y, Raju K, Raj R, King IO, Nanjundegowda TM, Narayanswamy MB, Chikkegowda BN, Siddegowda SM, Bagyaraj DJ, Mäder P, Boller T, Kahmen A. Spatial Arrangement and Biofertilizers Enhance the Performance of Legume—Millet Intercropping System in Rainfed Areas of Southern India. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.711284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intercropping is a well-established practice to enhance the yield in low-input agriculture, and beneficial microbes such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) combined with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria are being used as an effective and sustainable measure to improve yields. In this study, we tested if biofertilizers can not only enhance the yield of crops in monoculture as has previously been demonstrated but can also enhance the yield of intercropping systems. We hypothesized that because AMF can form common mycorrhizal networks (CMN) that can transfer nutrients and water between different plant species, biofertilization can balance belowground competition between crop species and promote thus overall yields in intercropping systems. In our study, we used a pigeon pea (PP)—finger millet (FM) intercropping system that we grew for two consecutive growing seasons (2016/17 and 2017/18) at two contrasting sites in Bengaluru and Kolli Hills, India. We also tested if the spatial arrangement (i.e., different arrangement of component plants with similar plant density in intercropping system) of intercropped plants, using either a row-wise or a mosaic design, influences the effect of biofertilizers on yield and water relations of the PP-FM intercropping system. Our results demonstrate that intercropping can improve the straw and grain yield of PP and FM compared to the respective monocultures and that intercropping effects vary depending on the site characteristic such as climate and soil type. The spatial arrangement of component plants affected the total, straw, and grain biomass in intercropping treatments, but this effect also varied across sites. Most importantly, the results from the 2017/18 growing season clearly demonstrated a positive effect of biofertilizer on biomass yield, and this effect was irrespective of site, spatial arrangement, mixed or monoculture. Our study therefore shows that yield increase in intercropping systems can further be improved through the application of biofertilizers.
Collapse
|
6
|
Ren Y, Zhang L, Yan M, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Palta JA, Zhang S. Effect of sowing proportion on above- and below-ground competition in maize-soybean intercrops. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15760. [PMID: 34344978 PMCID: PMC8333320 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95242-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The relative contribution of above- and below-ground competition to crop yield under intercropping systems is critical to understanding the mechanisms of improved yield. Changes in the content of above- and below-ground biomass, leaf photosynthetic rate (Pn), leaf area index (LAI), chlorophyll meter reading (SPAD), diffuse non interceptance (DIFN), soil water storage (SWS), crop nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) uptake were examined in a 2-year trial of different maize-soybean intercropping systems on the Loess Plateau, China. Compared with the sole cropping system, shoot biomass of maize was increased by 54% in M2S2 and 62% in M2S4 strip intercropping treatment. The crop N and P uptake of maize increased significantly, by 54% and 50% in M2S2 and by 63% and 52% in M2S4 compared with their respective sole crop. LAI values of maize in intercropping systems were 14% and 15% for M2S2 and M2S4 less than that in the sole crop. The DIFN of intercropped maize was increased by 41% and 48% for M2S2 and M2S4 compared to monocrop. There were no significant differences in Pn and SWS in both crops between the two cropping systems. The contribution rate of DIFN in M2S2 and crop P uptake in M2S4 on the biological yield in intercropping system was the highest among all factors. We conclude that the sowing proportion affects above- and below-ground competition in maize-soybean intercropping systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Ren
- Geography and Environmental Engineering Department, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Minfei Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- Geography and Environmental Engineering Department, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China
| | - Yinglong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Jairo A Palta
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Private Bag No. 5, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia
| | - Suiqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
| |
Collapse
|