College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193,China.
Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation in North China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100193, China.
J Exp Bot. 2021 May 4;72(10):3630-3646. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erab077.
Spatial configuration and plant phenotypic plasticity contribute to increased light capture in relay intercropping, but there is little information on whether these factors also increase light capture in simultaneous intercropping. We developed and validated a three-dimensional functional-structural plant model to simulate light capture in maize and soybean sole crops and intercrop scenarios, using species traits observed in sole crops and intercrops. The intercrop maize phenotype had 2% greater light capture than the sole crop phenotype in a pure stand. The soybean intercrop phenotype had 5-10% lower light capture than the sole crop phenotype in a pure stand. The intercrop configuration increased the light capture of maize by 29% and reduced the light capture of soybean by 42%, compared with the light capture expected from sole crops. However, intercrop configuration only marginally affected total light capture by the intercrop system (+1%). Testing of individual soybean plant traits revealed that plasticity in leaf dimensions was the main reason for differences in light capture by soybean in simulated sole crops and intercrops. The results of this study illustrate a major shift of light capture from shorter species (soybean) to the taller component (maize) in a simultaneous strip intercrop. Plastic plant traits modulate this overall effect, but only marginally.
空间配置和植物表型可塑性有助于提高间作中的光捕获，但关于这些因素是否也能增加同期间作中的光捕获，知之甚少。我们开发并验证了一个三维功能结构植物模型，用于模拟玉米和大豆单作和间作场景中的光捕获，使用单作和间作中观察到的物种特性。在纯作中，间作玉米表型的光捕获比单作玉米表型多 2%。在纯作中，间作大豆表型的光捕获比单作大豆表型低 5-10%。与单作相比，间作配置增加了玉米的光捕获量 29%，减少了大豆的光捕获量 42%。然而，间作配置仅对间作系统的总光捕获量产生轻微影响（增加 1%）。对个别大豆植物特性的测试表明，叶片尺寸的可塑性是大豆在模拟单作和间作中光捕获差异的主要原因。本研究的结果说明了在同期条带间作中，光捕获从较矮的物种（大豆）向较高的组成部分（玉米）的重大转变。可塑性植物特性调节了这种整体效应，但只是轻微的。
