Scientia Agricultura Sinica ›› 2015, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (18): 3767-3778.doi: 10.3864/j.issn.0578-1752.2015.18.020

• RESEARCH NOTES • Previous Articles    

Competition and Coexistence of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and Smooth Brome (Bromus inermis Layss.) in Mixture

XIE Kai-yun1,2, ZHANG Ying-jun2, LI Xiang-lin1, HE Feng1, WAN Li-qiang1, WANG Dong1, QIN Yan1   

  1. 1Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193
    2 College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193
  • Received:2014-06-19 Online:2015-09-16 Published:2015-09-16

Abstract: 【Objective】 The relationship between intraspecific competition and interspecific competition simultaneously exists in mixture of legume and grass, the results of the competition led to the phenomenon that one species will be fade, the other will be a dominant gradually due to difference of the competitiveness of different plants. It is of great significance to study the mechanism of competition and coexistence between legume and grass to maintain stable and high yield in mixture grassland. 【Method】A pot experiment was conducted to examine the effects of variable rates of nitrogen application (0, 75, 150 kg N·hm-2), hereafter referred as N0, N75, N150, on competition of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), Smooth brome (Bromus inermis Layss.) in monoculture, alfalfa and smooth brome in mixture (1:1), with indicators including the relative biomass (RY), relative density (RD), competitive ratio (CR), relative yield total (RYT), percentage of atmospheric N2 fixation (%Ndfa) and percentage of N transferred (%N Trans), to study the mechanism of competition and coexistence in mixcure of smooth brome and alfalfa. 【Result】 The results showed that with increasing of N application (from 0 to 150 kg·hm-2), the above-ground and below-ground biomass and tiller number of smooth brome significantly increased (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in the above-ground and below-ground biomass and branch number of alfalfa there was no significant in monoculture (P>0.05). The above-ground and below-ground biomass and tiller number of smooth brome increased, which in a certain extent inhibited biomass and branch number of alfalfa in mixture (P<0.05). The ability of smooth brome expand above-ground space by means of increase its tiller number was stronger than that of alfalfa in mixture. The above-ground and below-ground biomass and tiller number of individual smooth brome were significantly higher in mixcure than in monoculture regardless of N application (P<0.05), but that of alfalfa were the opposite (P<0.05). The competitive ratio of smooth brome in mixture was always greater than 1.0 while the competitive rate of alfalfa was always less than 1.0, which means that the competitiveness of smooth brome was stronger than that of alfalfa, and in the whole growth period, the competitiveness of smooth brome would gradually weak, and the competitiveness of alfalfa increased. At second, third and fourth sampling in the N0 treatment, the relative yield total (RYT) of smooth brome and alfalfa in mixture was significantly greater than 1.0 (P<0.05), which means that there was no obvious effect of competition between smooth brome and alfalfa, and it was mainly attributed to the biological nitrogen fixation of alfalfa's contribution to smooth brome. RYT of smooth brome and alfalfa in mixture showed no significant differences with 1.0 in N75 and N150 treatments(P>0.05). In addition, application of N fertilizer significantly inhibited the proportion of N2 fixation of alfalfa and N transfer from smooth to alfalfa, forcing alfalfa compete for soil N and fertilizer N with smooth brome. 【Conclusion】 Applied N fertilizer at 75 and 150 kg N·hm-2 enhanced the competitiveness of smooth brome, and inhibited the proportion of biological nitrogen fixation of alfalfa and nitrogen transfer form alfalfa to smooth brome, diminished the promotion effect and enhanced competition effect of the two.

Key words: smooth brome (Bromus inermis Layss.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), monocalture, minture, intraspecific competition, interspecific competition, biological nitrogen fixation

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