Productivity and interspecific competition of maize intercropped with faba bean, soybean or pea

doi:10.11686/cyxb2019119

Abstract

Abstract: A key factor for obtaining high yield and advantages of interspecific interaction when intercropping is the selection of compatible intercrop species. A field experiment was conducted with three intercropping species combinations: maize/faba bean (M/F), maize/soybean (M/S) and maize/pea (M/P), and the corresponding sole crops. Yield and biomass data for the three intercrop combinations and the four sole species were collected to define the effect of the three legume crops on the productivity and competition dynamics of the legumes when intercropped with maize. The results showed an obvious intercropping advantage for all three legumes intercropped with maize. Land equivalent ratio (LER) values averaged over two seasons were 1.38, 1.19, and 1.26 for M/F, M/S and M/P, respectively. The greatest harvest yield of intercropped maize was obtained from M/S intercropping. At harvest, the yield of maize intercropped with soybean (M/S) was 93.6% (2017) and 71.2% (2018) of sole maize (SM), respectively; Additionally, M/S produced more grains per ear than M/F or M/P. The aboveground biomass and average growth rate during the sampling stage of intercropped maize ranked: M/S>M/P>M/F. The aggressivity of soybean relative to maize (A_sm) decreased, and the aggressivity of faba bean relative to maize (A_fm) and of peas relative to maize (A_pm) increased during co-growth period. There was no significant difference in compensation effect (CE) between the three intercropping patterns during early growth of maize, and the average CE value over the two years was below 1. Therefore, based on the present study, maize intercropped with soybean is an efficient intercrop combination in the Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province.

Key words: maize/legumes intercropping, yield, interspecific competition, niche, growth

ZHAO Jian-hua, SUN Jian-hao, CHEN Liang-zhi. Productivity and interspecific competition of maize intercropped with faba bean, soybean or pea[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2020, 29(1): 86-94.

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