Responses of Soybean Dry Matter Production, Phosphorus Accumulation, and Seed Yield to Sowing Time under Relay Intercropping with Maize

Shoaib Ahmed,Tao Zhou,Wenyu Yang,Weigou Liu,Sajad Hussain,Muhammad Khalid,Aftab Ahmed,Nasir Iqbal,Muhammad Raza,Allah Wasaya,Lingyang Feng

doi:10.3390/agronomy8120282

Shoaib Ahmed, Tao Zhou + Show 9 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8120282

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Journal: Agronomy	Publication Date: Nov 27, 2018
Citations: 36	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Sichuan Agricultural University

Abstract

Soybean production under maize–soybean relay-intercropping system (MSICS) is vulnerable to shading. A study was initiated to investigate the effects of three sowing-times: ST1, 90; ST2, 70; and ST3, 50 days of co-growth period and two phosphorus-rates: P0, 0; and P60, 60 kg P ha−1 on soybean under MSICS. Results revealed that ST3 significantly increased the photosynthetically active radiations, leaf area index, and photosynthetic rate by 72% and 58%, and 61% and 38%, and 6% and 8%, respectively, at full-flowering and full-pod stage of soybean than ST1. Treatment ST3, increased the total dry-matter (TDM) and the highest TDM was reached at full-seed (R6) stage. Similarly, ST3 considerably increased the dry-matter partitioning to pods and seeds, relative to ST1, soybean under ST3 at R6 had 35% and 30% higher pod and seed dry-matter, respectively. Moreover, ST3 exhibited the maximum seed-yield (mean 1829.5 kg ha−1) for both years of this study. Soybean under ST3 with P60 accumulated 38% higher P, and increased the P content in pods and seeds by 36% and 33%, respectively at R6 than ST1. These results imply that by selecting the appropriate sowing-time and phosphorus-rate for soybean, we can increase the TDM and seed-yield of soybean under MSICS.

Highlights

Relay intercropping is a well-established cropping system in Asia [1], Africa [2], and SouthAmerica [3]
The changed sowing times selected for soybean under maize soybean relay intercropping system (MSICS) in this experiment revealed that soybean plants experienced the different shading duration, temperature, and precipitation before and during vegetative and flowering stages
Received Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) transmittance for soybean crop significantly affected with sowing times, and it decreased, while shade intensity increased with an increase in the co-growth period

Summary

Introduction

Relay intercropping is a well-established cropping system in Asia [1], Africa [2], and SouthAmerica [3]. Relay intercropping is a well-established cropping system in Asia [1], Africa [2], and South. Cereals, and legumes are the main crop families and are highly important for obtaining higher crop yields and the land equivalent ratio [4]. The relay intercropping of maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max (Linn.) Merr.) decreases the interspecific competition by promoting the facilitation processes, and increases the utilization of resources (i.e., land, water, and light) and nutrients (P) which enhance the crop productivity of an agro-ecosystem [5]. Interspecific facilitation between maize and soybean for P uptake and utilization by intercropped. Some researchers studied the intercropping systems wheat-maize, wheat-soybean, maize-faba bean, and maize-soybean in terms of phosphorus accumulation [7]

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