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Journal of Integrative Agriculture
Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2025, Vol. 24 Issue (7): 2826-2840    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.11.038
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Intercropping maize with leguminous green manure can compensate for the losses in grain yield and N uptake caused by a reduced N supply

Hanting Li1, 2, Zhilong Fan2, Falong Hu2, Wen Yin2, Qiming Wang2, Guocui Wang2, Weidong Cao3, Wei He1, Qiang Chai2#, Tuo Yao1#

1 State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science/College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China

2 College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China

3 Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

 Highlights 

● Intercrop compensates for the loss of reduced N on grain yield and N uptake.  
● Supercompensatory effect in maize leaves enhances with the extension of time.  
● Intercrop with reduced N improves N metabolism related enzyme activities.  

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摘要  

在保障作物产量的同时减少氮肥投入是全球粮食安全和可持续农业生产面临的重大挑战，提高作物氮素利用效率是关键所在。本研究旨在评估间作豆科绿肥在减少氮肥施用条件下对玉米籽粒产量和氮素利用的影响。2018-2021年，在中国西北地区开展了田间定位试验，采用裂区设计，主区设单作玉米(SM)和玉米间作箭筈豌豆(IM)两种种植模式，副区为不施氮(N0, 0 kg ha-1)、减量25%施氮(N1, 270 kg ha-1)和当地传统施氮(N2, 360 kg ha-1)三种施氮水平。结果表明，间作豆科绿肥可补偿减量施氮对玉米籽粒产量和氮吸收产生的负影响，且补偿效应随种植年限增加而增强。玉米与豆科绿肥间作结合减量施氮处理促进了玉米营养器官中氮素向籽粒的转运，并提高了叶片中硝酸还原酶和谷氨酰胺合成酶的活性，且叶片的超补偿效应逐年增强，分别在2019年、2020年和2021年达到16.1%、21.3%和25.5%。因此，在减少化学氮肥投入的情况下，玉米与豆科绿肥间作可增强玉米的氮素同化与吸收，部分替代化学氮肥，从而在提高氮素利用效率的同时，保证间作系统中玉米产量稳定。



Abstract  


A critical challenge for global food security and sustainable agriculture is enhancing crop yields while reducing chemical N inputs.  Improving N use efficiency in crops is essential for increasing agricultural productivity.  The aim of this study was to evaluate the impacts of intercropping maize with leguminous green manure on grain yield and N utilization under reduced N-fertilization conditions.  A field experiment with a split-plot design was conducted in northwestern China from 2018 to 2021.  The main plots consisted of two cropping systems: maize–common vetch intercropping (IM) and sole maize (SM).  The subplots had three N levels: zero N application (N0, 0 kg ha–1), a 25% reduction from the traditional chemical N supply (N1, 270 kg ha–1), and the traditional chemical N supply (N2, 360 kg ha–1).  The results showed that the negative effects of N reduction on maize grain yield and N uptake were compensated by intercropping leguminous green manure, and the improvements increased with cultivation years.  The integrated system involving maize–leguminous green manure intercropping and a reduced N supply enhanced N translocation from maize vegetative organs to grains and increased the nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activities in maize leaves.  The supercompensatory effect in maize leaves increased year by year, reaching values of 16.1, 21.3, and 25.5% in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively.  These findings suggest that intercropping maize with leguminous green manure under reduced chemical N input can enhance N assimilation and uptake in maize.  By using this strategy, chemical fertilizer is effectively replaced by leguminous green manure, thereby improving N use efficiency and maintaining stable yields in the maize-based intercropping system. 


Keywords:  intercropping       leguminous green manure        reduced chemical N supply        compensatory effect        N remobilization  
Received: 05 July 2024   Online: 28 November 2024   Accepted: 15 October 2024
Fund: 

This work was supported by the ‘Double First-Class’ Key Scientific Research Project of Education Department in Gansu Province, China (GSSYLXM-02), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U21A20218 and 32160765), the earmarked fund for China Agriculture Research System (CARS-22-G-12), the Science and Technology Project of Gansu Province, China (20JR5RA037 and 21JR7RA836), the Postdoctoral Research Start-up Foundation of Gansu Province, China (03824034), and the Postdoctoral Research Start-up Foundation of Gansu Agricultural University, China (202403).  

About author:  Hanting Li, Mobile: +86-18809497529, E-mail: light0128@163.com; #Correspondence Qiang Chai, Mobile: +86-13893357360, E-mail: chaiq@gsau.edu.cn; Tuo Yao, Mobile: +86-15002623079, E-mail: yaotuo@gsau.edu.cn
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Hanting Li, Zhilong Fan, Falong Hu, Wen Yin, Qiming Wang, Guocui Wang, Weidong Cao, Wei He, Qiang Chai, Tuo Yao. 2025. Intercropping maize with leguminous green manure can compensate for the losses in grain yield and N uptake caused by a reduced N supply. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 24(7): 2826-2840.

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