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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2022, Vol. 21 Issue (6): 1755-1771    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63730-9
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Maizelegume intercropping promote N uptake through changing the root spatial distribution, legume nodulation capacity, and soil N availability
ZHENG Ben-chuan1, 2*, ZHOU Ying1, 2*, CHEN Ping1, 2, ZHANG Xiao-na1, 2, DU Qing1, 2, YANG Huan1, 2, WANG Xiao-chun1, 2, YANG Feng1, 2, XIAO Te1, 2, LI Long3, YANG Wen-yu1, 2, YONG Tai-wen1, 2
1 College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, P.R.China
2 Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Crop Strip Intercropping System/Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest, Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu 611130, P.R.China
3 College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100093, P.R.China
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摘要  

通过2年定位试验研究不同玉米-豆科间套作模式下(玉米-大豆带状套作、玉米-花生带状间作、玉米净作、大豆净作和花生净作)作物氮素吸收与根系分布、豆科结瘤和土壤氮素有效性之间的关系。结果表明:与净作相比,间套作显著降低了单季作物的单位面积吸氮量,但玉米-大豆套作和玉米-花生间作的系统总吸氮量分别增加31.7-45.4%和7.4-12.2%。间套作显著增加了玉米和大豆的单株氮素吸收量,与净作相比分别增加61.6%和31.8%,间作花生的单株吸氮量较净作降低46.6%。间套作系统中玉米和大豆的根系呈现不对称性分布,其根长密度和根表面密度显著高于相应单作。间作花生受竞争抑制,其根表面密度显著低于相应单作。与净作相比,套作大豆的根瘤数量和根瘤鲜重显著增加,间作花生根瘤数和根瘤鲜重则显著降低。间套作显著提高了玉米和大豆的土壤酶活性(蛋白酶、脲酶、硝酸还原酶)和土壤有效氮含量,但降低了花生的土壤酶和土壤有效氮含量。玉米-大豆带状套作系统比玉米-花生带状间作系统更有利于氮素吸收,玉米与豆科间套作可以促进玉米对氮素的吸收,从而降低氮肥用量,提高农业可持续性。




Abstract  Legume cultivars affect N uptake, component crop growth, and soil physical and chemical characteristics in maize–legume intercropping systems.  However, how belowground interactions mediate root growth, N fixation, and nodulation of different legumes to affect N uptake is still unclear.  Hence, a two-year experiment was conducted with five planting patterns, i.e., maize–soybean strip intercropping (IMS), maize–peanut strip intercropping (IMP), and corresponding monocultures (monoculture maize (MM), monoculture soybean (MS), and monoculture peanut (MP)), and two N application rates, i.e., no N fertilizer (N–) and conventional N fertilizer (N+), to examine relationships between N uptake and root distribution of crops, legume nodulation and soil N availability.  Results showed that the averaged N uptake per unit area of intercrops was significantly lower than the corresponding monocultures.  Compared with the monoculture system, the N uptake of the intercropping systems increased by 31.7–45.4% in IMS and by 7.4–12.2% in IMP, respectively.  The N uptake per plant of intercropped maize and soybean significantly increased by 61.6 and 31.8%, and that of intercropped peanuts significantly decreased by 46.6% compared with the corresponding monocultures.  Maize and soybean showed asymmetrical distribution of roots in strip intercropping systems.  The root length density (RLD) and root surface area density (RSAD) of intercropped maize and soybean were significantly greater than that of the corresponding monocultures.  The roots of intercropped peanuts were confined, which resulted in decreased RLD and RSAD compared with the monoculture.  The nodule number and nodule fresh weight of soybean were significantly greater in IMS than in MS, and those of peanut were significantly lower in IMP than in MP.  The soil protease, urease, and nitrate reductase activities of maize and soybean were significantly greater in IMS and IMP than in the corresponding monoculture, while the enzyme activities of peanut were significantly lower in IMP than in MP.  The soil available N of maize and soybean was significantly greater increased in IMS and IMP than in the corresponding monocultures, while that of IMP was significantly lower than in MP.  In summary, the IMS system was more beneficial to N uptake than the IMP system.  The intercropping of maize and legumes can promote the N uptake of maize, thus reducing the need for N application and improving agricultural sustainability.

Keywords:  maize–legume strip intercropping       nitrogen uptake       soil enzyme activity       soil available nitrogen       root length density  
Received: 09 February 2021   Accepted: 13 May 2021
Fund: The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31872856) and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFD030020205).
About author:  ZHENG Ben-chuan, E-mail: zhengbenchuan1987@163.com; Correspondence YONG Tai-wen, Mobile: +86-13980173140, E-mail: scndytw@qq.com; YANG Wen-yu, E-mail: mssiyangwy@sicau.edu.cn * Thses authors contributed equally to this study.

Cite this article: 

ZHENG Ben-chuan, ZHOU Ying, CHEN Ping, ZHANG Xiao-na, DU Qing, YANG Huan, WANG Xiao-chun, YANG Feng, XIAO Te, LI Long, YANG Wen-yu, YONG Tai-wen. 2022. Maizelegume intercropping promote N uptake through changing the root spatial distribution, legume nodulation capacity, and soil N availability. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 21(6): 1755-1771.

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