Influences of Rape Intercropping with Chinese Milk Vetch and Straw Mulch-ing on Productive Benefits in Dryland of Southwest China

Border-rows Effect of Rape (Brassica napus L.) Intercropping with Milk Vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.)

“…Our results showed that intercropping with milk vetch only significantly increased the yield of rape, mainly because intercropping increased the plant height, diameter of root, sessile leaves number, secondary effective branch number and other agronomic traits of rape, and then increased the number of pods per plant. Previous studies by Zhou et al also showed that milk vetch rape intercropping significantly improved the growth of rape and achieved yield increase effect [12] . In recent years, some researchers have further studied the side effects of different intercropping systems.…”

“…Milk vetch is the main green fertilizer crop in south China, which can improve soil fertility and soil structure [9] . Rape is one of the important oil crops in China, and the intercropping of milk vetch and rape can not only improve the production efficiency of rape, increase organic fertilizer source, improve soil fertility, but also has good physiological and ecological effects [10][11][12] . Recent studies found that intercropping milk vetch could not only change the soil microbial characteristics of rape rhizosphere, thereby affecting its soil respiration [13,14] , but also reduce the accumulation of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in rape, reduce the harm of heavy metals to human beings [15] .…”

Reduction in soil CO2 efflux through alteration of hydrothermal factor in milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.)-rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) intercropping system

“…The high CO 2 efflux from Intercrop at the early growth stages are explained by low competition for the soil resources between species ( Mushagalusa et al., 2008 ), and intensive plant growth. Intercropping with RS may decrease the impact of MV on soil respiration at the later stage ( Figure 3 ) i) due to inhibition of MV growth ( Zhou et al., 2018 ), thus, decreasing the release of root exudates from MV into the soil ( Liu et al., 2013 ) and ii) due to suppress microbial biomass and activity in the RS rhizosphere in the presence of MV ( Zhou et al., 2019b ), and thus, reducing rhizosphere respiration ( Blaise et al., 2021 ; Yang et al., 2021 ). The RS and Intercrop had similar CO 2 efflux rates after the seedling stage, whereas maximum values were found from MV ( Figure 3 ).…”

“…Intercrop also decreased soil moisture, especially at the seedling and stem elongation stages, compared to the monoculture ( Figure 6 ). This explains why in the Intercrop the growth of MV was suppressed ( Zhou et al., 2018 ). High CO 2 emission rate under MV observed at the flowering and podding stages can be explained more by the high soil moisture at the initial plant growth stages, then by the temperature.…”

“…Milk vetch ( Astragalus sinicus L.) intercropping with rapeseed ( Brassica napus L.) can enhance farmland productivity ( Zhou et al., 2018 ), change the microbial community structure and decrease microbial biomass and functional activity in the rapeseed rhizosphere ( Zhou et al., 2019b ). To verify the potential of intercropping to reduce the CO 2 emission, the soil respiration from milk vetch - rapeseed system was monitored together with the temperature and moisture for the entire development of crops and compared to the monoculture.…”