Abstract
ABSTRACT Traditional maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max (L) Merrill) intercropping practice cannot be adapted to modern agriculture due to low light use efficiency, radiation use efficiency, low comparative profits of soybeans and incompatibility with mechanization. However, a new type of maize and soybean intercropping system (MSIS) with high land equivalent ratio (LER) provides substantial benefits for small-land hold farmers worldwide. Our research team has done a wide range of research to suggest the appropriate planting geometry that ensures high yield and LER as high as 2.36, nutrient acquisition and mechanical operations in MSISs. Increase in the distance between soybean and maize rows and decrease in the spacing of maize narrow rows is useful for the high light interception for the short soybean in MSISs. This review concludes that MSIS has multifold and convincing results of LER and compatible with mechanization, while those practiced other than China still require technological advancements, agronomic measures and compatible mechanization to further explore its adaptability.
Highlights
To feed the exponentially growing world population, intercropping is an important agronomic strategy that involves the growing of two or more crops on the same piece of land (Katyayan, 2005)
Conventional intercropping field layout most often results in low light use efficiency (LUE), radiation use efficiency (RUE) and low comparative profits of soybeans
A new type of maize–soybean intercropping with higher land equivalent ratio (LER), especially strip intercropping system, is widely practiced in the southwest of China since the last two decades
Summary
To feed the exponentially growing world population, intercropping is an important agronomic strategy that involves the growing of two or more crops on the same piece of land (Katyayan, 2005). A new maize–soybean relay strip intercropping system has been developed and popularized in the southwestern China (Yan et al, 2010) that provided substantial benefits for small-land hold farmers in terms of yields and economic prospects. In this model, wide-narrow row planting of alternating maize and soybean (200 cm bandwidth 2:2, maize-to-soybean rows) facilitates the mechanical operations. The objective of this review is to put forward the comparative analysis of newly developed mechanizedbased maize–soybean strip intercropping systems practiced in southwest of China and the traditional maize– soybean intercropping system that is a common practice in other developing countries This analysis will help to promote mechanized-based maize–soybean strip intercropping system as a high-efficient and sustainable agricultural practice. Benefits and questions regarding its adaptability are discussed in detail
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