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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2026, Vol. 25 Issue (4): 1451-1462    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.11.002
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Cultivar mixtures of maize enhance grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency by promoting canopy photosynthetically active radiation and root growth

Xucun Jia1, 2*, Fuli Li3*, Zhengyan Miao1*, Xiaoyong Li1, Leikang Sun1, Yuepeng Wei1, Kangna Yang1, Hangzhao Guo1, Rui Song1, 2, Haipeng Shang1, Xianli Feng4, Yuxia Li1, 2, Rongfa Li1, 2, Qun Wang1, 2#

1 State Key Laboratory of High-Efficiency Production of Wheat-Maize Double Cropping/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China

2 Henan Province Agro-ecosystem Field Observation and Research Station, Xiping 463900, China

3 Henan Agricultural Technology Extension Station, Zhengzhou 450046, China

4 Laboratory and Equipment Management Office, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China

 Highlights 
Cultivar mixtures enhanced late-initiated nodal root growth due to greater light interception at the whole canopy layer and leaf area at the lower canopy layer
Cultivar mixtures can promote nitrogen utilization efficiency by improving the canopy structure and root functional traits.

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摘要  种内间混作有利于增加作物多样性和产量稳定性。如何通过环境友好的方式实现粮食高产和氮素利用效率是一个重大挑战。然而,目前还不清楚玉米品种间混作能否提高氮素利用效率。本研究以不同根夹角和叶夹角的两个玉米品种为试验材料,在4个施氮量水平下(0140280340 kg N ha-1)开展了2年大田试验。在N0N140N280施氮量下,玉米间混作显著提高冠层中部光截获、干物质积累量和总根长度。冠层中部光截获与干物质积累量呈正相关关系,并因此增加了产量。同时,结构方程分析表明,冠层光截获与总侧根长度呈正相关关系,而外层节根的总侧根长度的增加显著提高了氮素积累量和氮素利用效率。因此,玉米间混作促进了冠层优化和根系生长,进而提高了籽粒产量和氮素利用效率。这些发现有助于加深对品种间混作协同改善冠层结构和根系性状进而促进籽粒产量和氮素利用效率的理解。




Abstract  

Cultivar mixtures increase crop diversification and grain yield stability.  Achieving high grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) with environmentally friendly practices is a major challenge, but it is currently unclear whether maize cultivar mixtures can improve NUE.  A two-year field experiment was conducted using two maize cultivars with different roots angles and leaf angles planted in monoculture or in mixtures under four nitrogen levels N0 (0 kg N ha–1), N140 (140 kg N ha–1), N280 (280 kg N ha–1) and N340 (340 kg N ha–1).  Cultivar mixtures significantly increased light interception of the middle canopy, dry matter accumulation and total root length under N0, N140, and N280 conditions.  Light interception of the middle canopy was positively related to dry matter accumulation and thus increased grain yield.  In addition, light interception of the whole canopy was positively related to total lateral root length, while the greater total lateral root length of outer nodal roots significantly improved nitrogen accumulation and NUE.  Thus, cultivar mixtures promoted an optimal canopy structure and good root growth, thereby improving grain yield and NUE.  These findings deepen our understanding of the facilitating effect of canopy structure and root traits of cultivar mixtures on the combined promotion of grain yield and NUE. 

Keywords:  cultivar mixtures       grain yield        nitrogen use efficiency        light interception        lateral roots of nodal roots  
Received: 09 May 2024   Accepted: 11 October 2024 Online: 04 November 2024  
Fund: 

We are grateful for grants from the China Agriculture Research System (CARS-02-20), the Henan Province Agro-ecosystem Field Observation and Research Station, China (30602535), the Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province, China (202300410216 and 222300420180), and the Key Laboratory of Agricultural Monitoring and Early Warming Technology, China (2023KLAMEWT03).

About author:  #Correspondence Qun Wang, E-mail: wangqun177@163.com * These authors contributed equally to this study.

Cite this article: 

Xucun Jia, Fuli Li, Zhengyan Miao, Xiaoyong Li, Leikang Sun, Yuepeng Wei, Kangna Yang, Hangzhao Guo, Rui Song, Haipeng Shang, Xianli Feng, Yuxia Li, Rongfa Li, Qun Wang. 2026. Cultivar mixtures of maize enhance grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency by promoting canopy photosynthetically active radiation and root growth. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 25(4): 1451-1462.

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