Huang Y, Wang M Q, Wei L L, Zhao C J, Yang L, Zhou X B
Agronomy Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agro-environment and Agro-products Safety, Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China.
Plant Biol (Stuttg). 2025 Jul 11. doi: 10.1111/plb.70070.
Intercropping is widely practiced in Southwest China, but studies on optimizing aboveground light use and enhancing photosynthetic capacity through row configuration to improve productivity remain limited. In this study, a randomized block design was used to systematically compare photosynthetic performance, resource use efficiency, and yield advantages between intercropping and monoculture systems, as well as among different row configurations within the intercropping system. Photosynthesis (Pn), leaf area index (LAI), dry matter accumulation (DMA), and intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR) of intercropping maize increased by 11.47%, 17.72%, 24.07%, and 9.91%, respectively. Among all configurations, the M2S4 arrangement had the highest average LAI for both maize (3.10) and soybean (2.56). A higher LAI facilitated increased light interception, with IPAR values of 84.78% for maize and 73.67% for soybean, thereby enhancing radiation use efficiency (RUE). Under the M2S4 configuration, both Pn (increased 8.51% in maize and 11.95% in soybean) and DMA (increased 14.95% in maize and 32.67% in soybean) were significantly higher than in other configurations. Improved Pn promoted grain development, resulting in increased maize 1000-grain weight (TGW) by 6.68% and soybean 100-grain weight (HGW) by 6.26%, contributing to higher total yields and improved land equivalent ratios (LER). Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed significant positive relationships among LAI, IPAR, RUE, and LER with yield. Principal components analysis further indicated that the M2S4 configuration had highest overall performance. This study suggests that maize-soybean intercropping under the M2S4 configuration in Southwest China enhanced photosynthetic capacity and optimized resource utilization, leading to improved yield performance.
间作在中国西南地区广泛应用，但通过行配置优化地上部光照利用和提高光合能力以提升生产力的研究仍然有限。本研究采用随机区组设计，系统比较了间作和单作系统之间以及间作系统内不同行配置之间的光合性能、资源利用效率和产量优势。间作玉米的光合速率（Pn）、叶面积指数（LAI）、干物质积累（DMA）和光合有效辐射截获量（IPAR）分别提高了11.47%、17.72%、24.07%和9.91%。在所有配置中，M2S4组合的玉米（3.10）和大豆（2.56）平均LAI最高。较高的LAI有利于增加光照截获，玉米的IPAR值为84.78%，大豆为73.67%，从而提高辐射利用效率（RUE）。在M2S4配置下，Pn（玉米提高8.51%，大豆提高11.95%）和DMA（玉米提高14.95%，大豆提高32.67%）均显著高于其他配置。Pn的提高促进了籽粒发育，导致玉米千粒重（TGW）增加6.68%，大豆百粒重（HGW）增加6.26%，有助于提高总产量和土地当量比（LER）。此外，相关性分析表明LAI、IPAR、RUE和LER与产量之间存在显著正相关。主成分分析进一步表明M2S4配置的综合性能最高。本研究表明，中国西南地区M2S4配置的玉米-大豆间作提高了光合能力，优化了资源利用，从而提高了产量表现。
