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Acta Agronomica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 51 ›› Issue (12): 3292-3303.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2025.53036

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

Effect of different legume configurations with maize on yield stability of intercropping systems

WANG Yan-Ting1,2,PANG Lei1,**,ZHAO Jian-Hua2,**,ZHENG Hao-Fei1,2,MA Wen-Hao1   

  1. 1.State Key Laboratory of Arid Habit Crop Science / College of Agriculture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China; 2 Institute of Soil, Fertilizer and Water-Saving Agriculture, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
  • Received:2025-06-06 Revised:2025-09-10 Accepted:2025-09-10 Online:2025-12-12 Published:2025-09-23
  • Contact: 逄蕾, E-mail: 125530457@qq.com; 赵建华, E-mail: zhaojianhuatt@163.com E-mail:3163856831@qq.com
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32060261, 32160525) and the Comprehensive Project for Land Consolidation and Ecological Restoration of the Zhuanglang River Section (Liushu Town-Hongcheng Town) in Yongdeng County (GSAU-JSYF-2024-22).

Abstract:

To investigate the effects of intercropping maize with different leguminous crops on yield and system stability, a four-year field experiment was conducted starting in 2017 at the Zhangye Water-Saving Agriculture Experiment Station, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The study employed a single-factor randomized block design, including three intercropping patterns—maize ‖ pea (M‖P), maize ‖ faba bean (M‖F), and maize ‖ soybean (M‖S)—alongside corresponding monocultures. Grain yield was measured, and indicators such as overyielding, relative interaction index, and crop yield stability were calculated. Results showed that all three maize ‖ legume systems improved the yield stability of the leguminous crops. Among them, M‖S exhibited the highest legume yield stability, while M‖F showed the greatest improvement in legume yield stability compared to monoculture, with an increase of 184.18%. Although M‖P and M‖S also improved legume yield stability by 2.93% and 489.63%, respectively, these increases were not statistically significant. Analysis of maize yield stability revealed that maize in M‖P had 62.21% lower stability compared to monoculture. In contrast, maize yield stability in M‖F and M‖S improved, although no significant differences were observed among the three intercropping systems. Yield analysis demonstrated significant intercropping advantages for both maize and legumes. Maize yield increased most in M‖S, while faba bean had the highest legume yield increase. On average, the weighted yield of maize and legumes increased by 16.71% compared to monoculture. Specifically, yields in M‖S, M‖P, and M‖F increased by 27.02%, 16.75%, and 6.80%, respectively. Compared to monoculture legumes, intercropping increased yields of faba bean and pea by 82.24% and 71.48%, respectively, while soybean yield decreased by 14.63%, showing an overall performance ranking of faba bean > pea > soybean. Overyielding of maize across intercropping systems followed the order M‖S > M‖P > M‖F, with increases of 32.92%, 13.47%, and 0.30%, respectively. Relative Interaction Index analysis showed that the RIIM (Relative interaction index for maize) values for M‖P, M‖F, and M‖S were 0.05, ?0.01, and 0.14, respectively, while the RIIL (Relative interaction index for legumes) values were 0.25, 0.28, and ?0.08. Maize had a competitive advantage over soybean in M‖S; faba bean was dominant in M‖F; and M‖P displayed mutual promotion between maize and pea. Additionally, temporal niche separation was positively correlated with both overyielding and RIIL in legumes, and negatively correlated with RIIM. System-wide overyielding was significantly positively correlated with RIIM, and the overyielding of both maize and legumes was strongly positively correlated with both RIIM and RIIL. Therefore, intercropping maize with soybean presents a diversified planting model that ensures high and stable yields in the central region of the Hexi Corridor.

Key words: intercropping, temporal niche differentiation, maize ‖ legumes intercropping, crop yield stability, species interaction

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