Narrow-wide row planting pattern improves the light environment and seed yields of intercrop species in relay intercropping system

Abstract

Different planting patterns affect the light interception of intercrops under intercropping conditions. Here we revealed that narrow-wide-row relay-intercropping improves the light interception across maize leaves in wide rows (60cm) and narrow rows (40cm), accelerated the biomass production of intercrop-species and compensated the slight maize yield loss by considerably increasing the soybean yield. In a two-year experiment, maize was planted with soybean in different planting patterns (1M1S, 50:50cm and 2M2S, 40:60cm) of relay-intercropping, both planting patterns were compared with sole cropping of maize (M) and soybean (S). As compared to M and 1M1S, 2M2S increased the total light interception of maize leaves in wide rows (WR) by 27% and 23%, 20% and 10%, 16% and 9% which in turn significantly enhanced the photosynthetic rate of WR maize leaves by 7% and 5%, 12% and 9%, and 19% and 4%, at tasseling, grain-filling and maturity stage of maize, respectively. Similarly, the light transmittance at soybean canopy increased by 218%, 160% and 172% at V 2 , V 5 and R 1 stage in 2M2S compared with 1M1S. The improved light environment at soybean canopy in 2M2S considerably enhanced the mean biomass accumulation, and allocation to stem and leaves of soybean by 168%, and 131% and 207%, respectively, while it decreased the mean biomass accumulation, and distribution to stem, leaves and seed of maize by 4%, and 4%, 6% and 5%, respectively than 1M1S. Compared to 1M1S, 2M2S also increased the CR values of soybean (by 157%) but decreased the CR values of maize (by 61%). Overall, under 2M2S, relay-cropped maize and soybean produced 94% and 69% of the sole cropping yield, and the 2M2S achieved LER of 1.7 with net income of 1387.7 US $ ha -1 in 2016 and 1434.4 US $ ha -1 in 2017. Our findings implied that selection of optimum planting pattern (2M2S) may increase the light interception and influence the light distribution between maize and soybean rows under relay-intercropping conditions which will significantly increase the intercrops productivity. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the light environment when considering the sustainability of maize-soybean relay-intercropping via appropriate planting pattern selection.

Narrow‐wide‐row planting pattern increases the radiation use efficiency and seed yield of intercrop species in relay‐intercropping system

“…The values of CR clearly indicated that maize was the dominant crop in RI treatments. Likewise, in many past studies it has been confirmed that the CR values of maize were always found higher as compared to CR values of soybean (Feng et al, ). In addition, maize has the higher ability to use and exploit available environmental resources, that is, land, water, and light in association with chickpea or soybean or groundnut has been documented by numerous scientists (Banik et al, ; Chen et al, ; Ghosh, ; Raza et al, ).…”

“…In relay‐intercropping system, soybean crop is the late sown crop (Echarte et al, ) and different planting arrangements changed the micro climate of soybean plants especially light (Awal, Koshi, & Ikeda, ), especially when the distance between maize and soybean rows reduced (Yang et al, ). Past reports confirmed that soybean is sensitive to low light conditions and shading environments impaired the yield parameters of soybean (Feng et al, , ; Khalid et al, ). In most of the previous investigations, they examined the impacts of shading and light intensity on the yield parameters of sole‐cropped soybean (Feng et al, ; F. Yang et al, ).…”

Optimum leaf excision increases the biomass accumulation and seed yield of maize plants under different planting patterns

“…Sunlight is the most important environmental factor for agricultural production (Aphalo, Ballare, & Scopel, ; Feng et al, , ). In agricultural fields, middle and lower strata leaves of maize plants often experience shading conditions (T. Liu, Huang, Cai, Han, & Dong, ).…”

Optimum strip width increases dry matter, nutrient accumulation, and seed yield of intercrops under the relay intercropping system

“…One of the main achievements in adopting MSR is the production of higher dry-matter accumulation in relay-intercropped maize plants due to the facilitation and complementary effects of soybean during the cogrowth period (Feng et al, 2019;Yang et al, 2017). This is ascribed to the fact that maize plants exhibit extensive and robust growth during the cogrowth phase (Ahmed et al, 2018), whereas the soybean plants show decreasing growth and dry-matter accumulation with inferior morphological characteristics (Feng et al, 2018;Khalid et al, 2019;Liu et al, 2016;Wu et al, 2017).…”