Nutrient Accumulation and Distribution Assessment in Response to Potassium Application under Maize–Soybean Intercropping System

Abstract

Intercropping is an intensive agricultural cropping system widely practiced for enhanced yield and nutrient acquisition advantages. A two-year maize–soybean intercropping (MSI) field study was performed in 2018 and 2019 to assess the effects of potassium (K) fertilizer application on biomass accumulation and distribution of essential nutrients in the various plant parts (root, green biomass and seed) of maize–soybean intercropping (MSI). Three different treatments of K fertilizer applications (T0: no potassium application; T1: maize 40, soybeans 30 and T2: maize 80, soybeans 60 kg ha−1) were designed with 2 rows of maize by wide, narrow row planting in row arrangements of 160 cm + 40 cm. Soybeans were grown in 2 wide rows at a width of 40 cm and a row spacing of 60 cm between the rows of maize and soybeans, while the sole maize (SM) and sole soybean (SS) were grown with 70-cm and 50-cm row spacing, respectively. The results of the two-year study confirmed that, as compared to T0, T2 significantly increased nitrogen, phosphate and potassium (NPK) accumulation in all maize parts by 27%, 16% and 20% grain, 23%, 22% and 14% green biomass and 30%, 17% and 15% root, respectively. In soybean treatments, T2 significantly increased NPK accumulation by 23%, 22% and 24% grain, 16%, 15% and 12% green biomass and 18%, 19% and 20% root, respectively. The increased accumulation of nutrients under T2 raised the overall biomass and its distribution to root, green biomass and grain in maize and soybeans by 11% and 18% and 16% and 19%, 20% and 12%, respectively, compared to T0. On average, after two years of experiments, the T2 intercropped maize and the soybeans showed 103% and 64% of the sole yield and attained the maximum LER of 1.66 and 1.68, respectively. Our results reveal that managing optimum K level application (80:60 kg ha−1) can accelerate biomass accumulation and distribution of other essential nutrients in the plant parts of intercropped maize and soybeans. Therefore, it is immensely important to concern potassium application levels in developing a sustainable maize–soybean intercropping systems for achieving higher productivity and land equivalent ratio (LER).

Macronutrient Management Effects on Nutrient Accumulation, Partitioning, Remobilization, and Yield of Hybrid Maize Cultivars

“…Hence, post-silking K accumulation failed to exert significant impact on grain yield. Positive effects of dry matter ( Birch et al, 1999 ; Bodnár et al, 2018 ), N ( Tsai et al, 1992 ; Plénet and Lemaire, 1999 ), P ( Wang and Ning, 2019 ; Ahmed et al, 2020 ), and K ( Bhattacharyya et al, 2018 ; Ul-Allah et al, 2020 ) accumulation on grain yield of maize have been well documented by previous researchers across different geographical locations. Findings of our study agree with those outcomes of the previous research.…”

Medium-Term Crop Rotations with Different Residue Incorporation Rates: Effect on Durum Wheat Production and Plant Nutrient Concentration and Extraction

“…Regarding nutrient distribution in the durum wheat plant and other reports for cereal crops, the highest proportion of N, P, Mg, and S was concentrated in the grain (Bar-Tal et al 2004;Hirzel 2011;Ahmed et al 2020); this is associated with the structural and metabolic functions of these nutrients such as protein composition and enzyme cofactors (Marschner 2012). The highest proportion of K and Ca was found in the aerial residue, which was also reported in other studies on cereals (Bar-Tal et al 2004;Hirzel 2011;Ahmed et al 2020).…”

“…Regarding nutrient distribution in the durum wheat plant and other reports for cereal crops, the highest proportion of N, P, Mg, and S was concentrated in the grain (Bar-Tal et al 2004;Hirzel 2011;Ahmed et al 2020); this is associated with the structural and metabolic functions of these nutrients such as protein composition and enzyme cofactors (Marschner 2012). The highest proportion of K and Ca was found in the aerial residue, which was also reported in other studies on cereals (Bar-Tal et al 2004;Hirzel 2011;Ahmed et al 2020). This higher K and Ca accumulation in the aerial residue is associated with structural functions for Ca in stem rigidity (pectates, phosphates, and oxalates), plant vascular system, and the lower mobility of this nutrient to carbohydrate accumulation structures such as grains.…”

Nitrogen Uptake from Different Sources by Non-GMO Soybean Varieties

“…Soybean cultivation may provide additional benefits associated with limited application of mineral fertilisers which increase yields but also contribute to environment degradation [32]. Post-harvest soybean plant parts may be a nitrogen source for other plants grown in succession [9,33,34] so it is important to determine the amount of nitrogen they accumulate, in particular atmospheric nitrogen.…”