Effects of intercropping on light energy utilization characteristics and productivity of diffe-rent feed crops

Abstract

To explore light energy utilization characteristics and yield effect of different legume-gramineae intercropping patterns, we set up five kinds of monocropping patterns including alfalfa, triticale, oats, maize and sorgo as reference in a field experiment. The light energy utilization chara-cteristics and productivity of four kinds of intercropping patterns including alfalfa-triticale, alfalfa-oats, alfalfa-maize and alfalfa-sorgo were examined. The contribution degree of each light energy index to yield formation was analzyed using path analysis method. The results showed that the contribution of each index of light energy to yield from large to small was as follows: leaf area index (LAI)=1.236, net photosynthetic rate (Pn)=0.519, canopy openness (DIFN)=0.302, intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci)=-0.026, stomatal conductance (gs)=-0.116, transpiration rate (Tr)=-0.188, PAR interception rate (FIPAR)=-1.708. Light use efficiency (LUE) as a comprehensive indicator of light energy utilization had the largest value (1.367). Compared with monoculture, the values of LAI, Pn, gs, Tr and FIPAR of four kinds of gramineae grasses increased under intercropping and the values of DIFN and Ci decreased, while alfalfa showed an opposite trend. Compared with monoculture, the LUE of four kinds of gramineae grasses under intercropping was significantly increased. The increase rates of triticale and oats (35.2% and 30.4%) were higher than that of maize and sorgo (28.7% and 26.3%). The decrease rates of alfalfa intercropping with triticale and oats (6.1% and 8.3%) were obviously lower than that of maize and sorgo (21.8% and 24.5%). The values of land equivalent ratio (LER) of four kinds of intercropping patterns was all greater than 1. The LER values of alfalfa-triticale and alfalfa-oat were significantly higher than those of alfalfa-maize and alfalfa-sorgo. It could be seen that LAI had the largest direct contribution to yield, followed by Pn. Among the four intercropping patterns, two patterns, alfalfa-triticale and alfalfa-oats, had greater improvement potential of light energy utilization and yield.