Optimizing maize yield and kernel quality via leguminous green manure intercropping with deficit irrigation in arid agroecosystem

doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.09.011

Journal of Integrative Agriculture

2026, Vol. 25

Issue (7): 3017-3030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.09.011

Agro-ecosystem & Environment

Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search

Optimizing maize yield and kernel quality via leguminous green manure intercropping with deficit irrigation in arid agroecosystem

Diaoliang Zhang¹, Yunyou Nan², Zhilong Fan^{1, 2#}, Qiang Chai^{1, 2#}, Gary Y. Gan^{1, 3#}, Wen Yin^{1, 2}, Falong Hu²

¹State Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China

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

³College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China

Highlights
● In leguminous green manure intercropping system, 15% deficit irrigation can achieve maize yield equivalent to conventional irrigation.
● It also enhanced kernel quality and sustained high levels of protein and nutrients under deficit irrigation.
● These improvements were attributed to an increased net photosynthetic rate and a greater soil nitrogen supply.

Abstract
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摘要

间作豆科绿肥是一种通过提升土壤肥力和资源利用效率来增强农业生态系统韧性的可持续策略。然而，在干旱条件下，间作豆科绿肥与调亏灌溉协同维持玉米产量稳定性并改善籽粒品质的机制仍不明晰。本研究开展了一项为期三年（2021–2023年）的田间裂区试验，主区设3种绿肥还田方式：绿肥全量翻压还田（M||V-P）、绿肥根茬还田（M||V-R）以及无绿肥对照（单作玉米，SM）；副区设3种灌溉制度：常规灌溉（I3，400 mm）、15%亏缺灌溉（I2，340 mm）和30%亏缺灌溉（I1，280 mm）。试验测定了玉米籽粒产量、籽粒品质（蛋白质、脂肪、淀粉及必需氨基酸含量）、玉米净光合速率（Pn）以及土壤硝态氮与铵态氮含量。结果表明，与单作玉米（SM）相比，M||V-P 和 M||V-R 处理均提高了玉米籽粒产量，其中 M||V-P 的产量比 M||V-R 高出 5.7%。值得注意的是，M||V-P 在 I2（15%亏缺灌溉）条件下的产量与 M||V-P 在 I3（常规灌溉）条件下相当，且较 SMI3（单作玉米常规灌溉）增产 18.3%。与单作玉米相比，M||V-P 和 M||V-R 还显著提升了籽粒品质，表现为蛋白质、脂肪、淀粉及必需氨基酸含量增加。随着灌溉量减少，籽粒蛋白质含量有所增加，而脂肪和淀粉含量降低。特别地，M||V-P 在 I2 条件下的籽粒蛋白质含量与 I1（30%亏缺灌溉）处理无显著差异，同时脂肪、淀粉及必需氨基酸含量与 I3（常规灌溉）处理相近。与 SMI3 相比，M||V-P 在 I2 条件下所有籽粒品质指标均显著增加。这些改善主要得益于间作豆科绿肥在减少 15% 灌溉用水的同时，使玉米净光合速率（Pn）提高了 14.3%，并将土壤硝态氮与铵态氮含量分别提升了 12.5% 和 5.2%。本研究表明，间作豆科绿肥结合调亏灌溉可作为水资源受限地区玉米可持续生产的一种推广模式。

Abstract

Intercropping with leguminous green manure represents a sustainable approach to enhance agroecosystem resilience through improved soil fertility and resource-use efficiency. However, the synergistic mechanisms between leguminous green manure intercropping and regulated deficit irrigation in maintaining maize yield stability and enhancing kernel profiles under arid conditions remain inadequately understood. A three-year (2021–2023) split-plot field experiment incorporated main plots consisting of three green manure incorporation practices: full green manure incorporation (M||V-P), green manure stubble retention (M||V-R), and maize without green manure (maize sole cropping, SM); while split plots comprised three irrigation regimes: conventional (I3; 400 mm), 15% deficit (I2; 340 mm), and 30% deficit (I1; 280 mm). The study examined maize grain yield, kernel quality (protein, fat, starch, and essential amino acid content), net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of maize, and soil nitrate-ammonium nitrogen content. M||V-P and M||V-R increased maize grain yield compared to SM, with M||V-P producing 5.7% higher yields than M||V-R. Notably, M||V-PI2 achieved comparable yield to M||V-PI3 while reducing irrigation by 15%, demonstrating an 18.3% yield increase over SMI3. M||V-P and M||V-R enhanced kernel quality compared to SM, exhibiting higher protein, fat, starch, and essential amino acid content. Decreased irrigation led to increased kernel protein content but reduced fat and starch contents. The kernel protein content under M||V-PI2 showed no significant difference from M||V-PI1, while maintaining fat, starch, and essential amino acid content similar to M||V-PI3. M||V-PI2 improved all kernel quality parameters relative to SMI3. These enhancements primarily resulted from maize intercropped with leguminous green manure in combination with 15% deficit irrigation, which increased maize Pn by 14.3%, and elevated soil nitrate-ammonium nitrogen by 12.5 and 5.2%, respectively. These findings demonstrate a scalable approach for sustainable maize production though the integration of leguminous green manure intercropping in water-limited regions.

Keywords: intercropping with leguminous green manure yield–water tradeoff kernel quality maize

Received: 21 April 2025 Accepted: 08 August 2025 Online: 09 September 2025

Fund:

We appreciate the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32160765) and the Ear-marked Fund for China Agriculture Research System (CARS-22-G-12).

About author: Diaoliang Zhang, Mobile: +86-18809405878, E-mail: zhangdl0320@163.com; #Correspondence Zhilong Fan, Mobile: +86-18919113084, E-mail: fanzl@gsau.edu.cn; Qiang Chai, Tel: +86-931-7631145; E-mail: chaiq@gsau.edu.cn; Gary Y. Gan, E-mail: gary.gan@wzu.edu.cn

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Diaoliang Zhang, Yunyou Nan, Zhilong Fan, Qiang Chai, Gary Y. Gan, Wen Yin, Falong Hu. 2026. Optimizing maize yield and kernel quality via leguminous green manure intercropping with deficit irrigation in arid agroecosystem. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 25(7): 3017-3030.

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