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Acta Agron Sin ›› 2015, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (04): 642-650.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2015.00642

• TILLAGE & CULTIVATION · PHYSIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of Row Spacing on Crop Biomass, Root Morphology and Yield in Maize-Soybean Relay Strip Intercropping System

YANG Feng,LOU Ying,LIAO Dun-Ping,GAO Ren-Cai,YONG Tai-Wen,WANG Xiao-Chun,LIU Wei-Guo,YANG Wen-Yu*   

  1. College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University / Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest, Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu 611130, China
  • Received:2014-10-23 Revised:2015-02-06 Online:2015-04-12 Published:2015-03-03
  • Contact: 杨文钰, E-mail: mssiyangwy@sicau.edu.cn E-mail:f.yang@sicau.edu.cn

Abstract:

Spatial patterns of cropping directly affect crop growth and yields in intercropping systems. A two year field experiment was conducted in 2012−2013 to analyze the effects of different row spacing patterns in maize and soybean relay strip intercropping system at 2:2 maize-to-soybean on crop biomass, root morphology and yield. The treatments were six row spacing patterns including four maize planting patterns with the control of sole cropping of maize and soybean. The maize planting patterns were compound of wide row and narrow row lying: “180+20” cm, “160+40” cm, “140+60” cm, and “120+80” cm. Soybean was planted in the wide rows before the reproductive stage of maize. The row spacing of the sole cropping of maize and soybean was 70 cm. The biomass, total root length, root surface area and root volume of intercropped soybean increased from V3 to R2, and decreased with increasing the maize narrow-row spacing. The above- and below-ground biomass of intercropped maize increased from tasseling to maturity stages, whereas opposite results were found in root volume. In addition, the intercropped maize biomass and root volume increased with increasing maize narrow-row spacing. The yields of maize and soybean in intercropping condition were lower than those in monoculture. Yield of intercropped maize increased with increasing the maize narrow-row spacing, with an average of two year maximum values of 6181 kg ha-1. Contrary trends were observed in intercropped soybean, with an average maximum yield of 1434 kg ha-1. Crop grain yield was related to effective plants and grain numbers per plant in maize-soybean relay strip intercropping system. Total intercropping yields were higher than sole cropping yields of maize and soybean, and the land equivalent ratio (LER) of the intercropping system was above 1.3. The maximum LER appeared in “60+40” cm treatment, which was 1.59 and 1.61 in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Similar results were found in economic benefit, the average of maximum value in both years was 19.3 thousand Yuan per hectare. Therefore, optimum row spacing pattern plays an important role in improving crop growth and increasing yield in maize-soybean relay strip intercropping system.

Key words: Maize, Soybean, Relay intercropping, Spatial pattern, Land equivalent ratio

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