Abstract
AbstractStrip width management is a critical factor for producing higher crop yields in relay intercropping systems. A 2‐year field experiment was carried out during 2012 and 2013 to evaluate the effects of different strip width treatments on dry‐matter production, major‐nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) uptake, and competition parameters of soybean and maize in relay intercropping system. The strip width (SW) treatments were 0.40, 0.40, and 0.40 m (SW1); 0.40, 0.40, and 0.50 m (SW2); 0.40, 0.40, and 0.60 m (SW3); and 0.40, 0.40, and 0.70 m (SW4) for soybean row spacing, maize row spacing, and spacing between soybean and maize rows, respectively. As compared to sole maize (SM) and sole soybean (SS), relay‐intercropped maize and soybean accumulated lower quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in all treatments. However, maize in SW1 accumulated higher nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium than SW4 (9%, 9%, and 8% for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, respectively). Soybean in SW3 accumulated 25% higher nitrogen, 33% higher phosphorus, and 24% higher potassium than in SW1. The improved nutrient accumulation in SW3 significantly increased the soybean dry matter by 19%, but slightly decreased the maize dry matter by 6% compared to SW1. Similarly, SW3 increased the competition ratio value of soybean (by 151%), but it reduced the competition ratio value of maize (by 171%) compared to SW1. On average, in SW3, relay‐cropped soybean produced 84% of SS seed yield and maize produced 98% of SM seed yield and achieved the land equivalent ratio of 1.8, demonstrating the highest level in the world. Overall, these results suggested that by selecting the appropriate strip width (SW3; 0.40 m for soybean row spacing, 0.40 m maize row spacing, and 0.60 m spacing between soybean and maize rows), we can increase the nutrient uptake (especially nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), dry‐matter accumulation, and seed yields of relay‐intercrop species under relay intercropping systems.
Highlights
Intercropping and relay intercropping systems are practiced globally due to the potential of these practices for enhanced resource use efficiency (Chen et al, 2017; Raza, Feng, Werf, Cai, et al, 2019)
In both years of the experiment, we used the same field, and treatments were located in the same plots, and after the harvesting, soybean and maize crop residues were not mixed in the field
The partial values of NER, PER, and KER of maize were increased by decreasing the strip width distance between soybean and maize rows, whereas the opposite trends were observed for soybean under maize– soybean relay intercropping system (MSR) (Table 7)
Summary
Intercropping and relay intercropping systems are practiced globally due to the potential of these practices for enhanced resource use efficiency (Chen et al, 2017; Raza, Feng, Werf, Cai, et al, 2019). MSR is the main cropping system of China (Wu, Gong, & Yang, 2017; Yang et al, 2017), no experiment has been conducted to evaluate the effects of different strip width (SW) treatments on nutrient accumulation and intercrop yields under this system In this experiment, we aimed to determine the differences in nutrient accumulation and dry-matter production between relay-cropped and sole-cropped soybean and maize, providing a possible explanation for observations of higher relay-cropped yields and LER in MSR. The objectives of this experiment were as follows: (a) to examine. Mean T (°C) 16.9 18.8 23.2 27.0 27.6 29.1 23.9 20.5 13.4 the effects of different strip width treatments on dry matter and yield of soybean and maize in MSR; (b) to assess the impact of different strip width treatments on the nutrient accumulation in soybean and maize under MSR, and (c) to recommend an appropriate strip width for growing soybean and maize in MSR
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
