Liu Siping, Wang Lixue, Chang Liang, Khan Ismail, Nadeem Faisal, Rehman Abdul, Suo Ran
College of Water Conservancy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China.
School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
Front Plant Sci. 2023 Oct 13;14:1280382. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1280382. eCollection 2023.
Intercropping and straw mulching are sustainable agricultural practices that can positively affect crop growth and development, especially together.
A split-plot experimental design was used to investigate the effects of intercropping and straw mulching on crop growth, crop yield, nitrogen uptake, and photosynthetic characteristics. The main plot focused on three planting patterns: soybean monoculture (S), maize monoculture (M), and maize/soybean intercropping (I). The subplot structure consisted of four levels of straw mulching (0, 4.8, 7.2, 9.6 t ha).
Interaction and variance analyses showed that straw mulching, intercropping, and their interaction had significant effects on plant height, stem diameter, leaf area index, chlorophyll content, nitrogen uptake, photosynthetic characteristics, and crop yield. Based on two-year averages for maize and soybean, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) was up to 51.6% higher, stomatal conductance (Sc) was up to 44.0% higher, transpiration rate (Tr) was up to 46.6% higher, and intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci) was up to 25.7% lower relative to no mulching. The maximum increases of Pn, Sc, and Tr of intercropped maize were 15.48%, 17.28%, and 23.94%, respectively, and the maximum Ci was 17.75% lower than that of monoculture maize. The maximum increase of Pn, Sc, and Tr of monoculture soybean was 24.58%, 16.90%, and 17.91%, respectively, and the maximum Ci was 13.85% lower than that of intercropped soybean. The nitrogen uptake of maize and soybean in the mulching treatment was 24.3% higher than that in the non-mulching treatment; the nitrogen uptake of intercropped maize was 34.2% higher than that of monoculture maize, and the nitrogen uptake of monoculture soybean was 15.0% higher than that of intercropped soybean. The yield of maize and soybean in the mulching treatment was 66.6% higher than that in the non-mulching treatment, the maize yield under intercropping was 15.4% higher than that under monoculture, and the yield of monoculture soybean was 9.03% higher than that of intercropped soybean.
The growth index and photosynthesis of crops are important parts of yield formation. The results of this study confirmed that straw mulching, intercropping, and their interaction can ultimately increase crop yield by improving crop growth, nitrogen uptake, and photosynthesis. This result can be used as the theoretical basis for the combined application of these measures in agriculture.
间作和秸秆覆盖是可持续农业实践，能够对作物生长发育产生积极影响，尤其是二者结合时。
采用裂区试验设计，研究间作和秸秆覆盖对作物生长、作物产量、氮素吸收及光合特性的影响。主区设置三种种植模式：大豆单作（S）、玉米单作（M）和玉米/大豆间作（I）。副区结构包括四个秸秆覆盖水平（0、4.8、7.2、9.6 t·ha）。
交互作用和方差分析表明，秸秆覆盖、间作及其交互作用对株高、茎粗、叶面积指数、叶绿素含量、氮素吸收、光合特性和作物产量均有显著影响。基于玉米和大豆两年的平均值，与不覆盖相比，净光合速率（Pn）最高提高51.6%，气孔导度（Sc）最高提高44.0%，蒸腾速率（Tr）最高提高46.6%，胞间二氧化碳浓度（Ci）最高降低25.7%。间作玉米的Pn、Sc和Tr最大增幅分别为15.48%、17.28%和23.94%，最大Ci比单作玉米低17.75%。单作大豆的Pn、Sc和Tr最大增幅分别为24.58%、16.90%和17.91%，最大Ci比间作大豆低13.85%。覆盖处理下玉米和大豆的氮素吸收比不覆盖处理高24.3%；间作玉米的氮素吸收比单作玉米高34.2%，单作大豆的氮素吸收比间作大豆高15.0%。覆盖处理下玉米和大豆的产量比不覆盖处理高66.6%，间作下玉米产量比单作高15.4%，单作大豆产量比间作大豆高9.03%。
作物的生长指标和光合作用是产量形成的重要部分。本研究结果证实，秸秆覆盖、间作及其交互作用最终可通过改善作物生长、氮素吸收和光合作用来提高作物产量。该结果可作为这些措施在农业中联合应用的理论依据。
