Abstract
To achieve sustainable development with a growing population while sustaining natural resources, a sustainable intensification of agriculture is necessary. Intercropping is useful for low-input/resource-limited agricultural systems. Iron (Fe) deficiency is a worldwide agricultural problem owing to the low solubility and bioavailability of Fe in alkaline and calcareous soils. Here, we summarize the effects of intercropping systems on Fe nutrition. Several cases showed that intercropping with graminaceous plants could be used to correct Fe nutrition of Leguminosae such as peanut and soybean or fruits such as Psidium guajava L., Citrus, grape and pear in calcareous soils. Intercropping systems have strong positive effects on the physicochemical and biochemical characteristics of soil and the microbial community due to interspecific differences and interactions in the rhizosphere. Rhizosphere interactions can increase the bioavailability of Fe with the help of phytosiderophores. Enriched microorganisms may also facilitate the Fe nutrition of crops. A peanut/maize intercropping system could help us understand the dynamics in rhizosphere and molecular mechanism. However, the role of microbiome in regulating Fe acquisition of root and the mechanisms underlying these phenomena in other intercropping system except peanut/maize need further work, which will help better utilize intercropping to increase the efficiency of Fe foraging.
Highlights
Leguminosae/Gramineae Intercropping Systems to See Benefits of Intercropping on Iron Nutrition
Several cases showed that intercropping with graminaceous plants could be used to correct Fe nutrition of Leguminosae such as peanut and soybean or fruits such as Psidium guajava L., Citrus, grape and pear in calcareous soils
The solubility of Fe in soil is decreased with increasing pH and increasing bicarbonate concentrations, which leads to Fe deficiency in crop production on calcareous soils (Marschner, 2012)
Summary
Intercropping is an ancient agricultural technology that involves planting two or more crop species together. On supplying Fe sulfate to the soil and sowing a mixture of graminaceous species along with pear (Pyrus communis) trees in orchards, Fe-deficiency chlorosis symptoms were alleviated (Tagliavini et al, 2000) This was seen in citrus plants (Cesco et al, 2006) and grape (Bavaresco et al, 2010) in the presence of grass cover species. After intercropping with various amounts of green garlic, the root Fe concentrations of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) increased, whereas the shoot Fe concentration decreased (Xiao et al, 2013) All of these effective cases happened in calcareous and/or alkaline soils. The leaves of citrus and peanut did not recover from Fe deficiency chlorosis intercropped with ys maize mutant plants, which is unable to release phytosiderophores (Cesco et al, 2006; Xiong et al, 2013a) It seems that a complementary strategy is necessary to increase the Fe nutrition of Strategy I plants in intercropping systems.
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