College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
Horticultural Station, Suzhou, 215000, China.
Plant Physiol Biochem. 2024 May;210:108574. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108574. Epub 2024 Mar 31.
Intercropping has been recommended as a beneficial cropping practice for improving soil characteristic and tea quality. However, there is limited research on the effects of intercropping fruit trees on soil chemical properties, soil aggregate structure, and tea quality components. In this study, intercropping fruit trees, specifically loquats and citrus, had a significant impact on the total available nutrients, AMN, and AP in soil. During spring and autumn seasons, the soil large-macroaggregates (>2 mm) proportion increased by 5.93% and 19.03%, as well as 29.23% and 19.14%, respectively, when intercropping loquats and citrus. Similarly, intercropping waxberry resulted in a highest small-macroaggregates (0.25 mm-2 mm) proportion at 54.89% and 77.32%. Soil aggregate stability parameters of the R, MWD, and GMD were generally considered better soil aggregate stability indicators, and significantly improved in intercropping systems. Intercropping waxberry with higher values for those aggregate stability parameters and lower D values, showed a better soil aggregate distribution, while intercropping loquats and citrus at higher levels of AMN and AP in different soil aggregate sizes. As the soil aggregate sizes increased, the AMN and AP contents gradually decreased. Furthermore, the enhanced levels of amino acids were observed under loquat, waxberry, and citrus intercropping in spring, which increased by 27.98%, 27.35%, and 26.21%, respectively. The contents of tea polyphenol and caffeine were lower under loquat and citrus intercropping in spring. These findings indicated that intercropping fruit trees, specifically loquat and citrus, have immense potential in promoting the green and sustainable development of tea plantations.
间作已被推荐为一种有益的种植方式，可以改善土壤特性和茶叶品质。然而，关于间作果树对土壤化学性质、土壤团聚体结构和茶叶品质成分的影响，研究还很有限。在这项研究中，间作果树，特别是枇杷和柑橘，对土壤中总有效养分、AMN 和 AP 有显著影响。在春季和秋季，间作枇杷和柑橘可使土壤中大-巨团聚体（>2mm）的比例分别增加 5.93%和 19.03%，以及 29.23%和 19.14%。同样，间作杨梅可使 0.25mm-2mm 之间的小-巨团聚体的比例达到最高，分别为 54.89%和 77.32%。R、MWD 和 GMD 等土壤团聚体稳定性参数通常被认为是更好的土壤团聚体稳定性指标，在间作系统中得到了显著改善。间作杨梅具有较高的团聚体稳定性参数和较低的 D 值，表明其土壤团聚体分布更好，而间作枇杷和柑橘则在不同土壤团聚体大小下具有较高的 AMN 和 AP 值。随着土壤团聚体大小的增加，AMN 和 AP 含量逐渐降低。此外，在春季间作枇杷、杨梅和柑橘时，观察到氨基酸含量增加，分别增加了 27.98%、27.35%和 26.21%。在春季间作枇杷和柑橘时，茶多酚和咖啡因的含量较低。这些发现表明，间作果树，特别是枇杷和柑橘，在促进茶园的绿色和可持续发展方面具有巨大潜力。
