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Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering >> 2021, Volume 8, Issue 3 doi: 10.15302/J-FASE-2021403

LIGHT INTERCEPTION AND USE EFFICIENCY DIFFER WITH MAIZE PLANT DENSITY IN MAIZE-PEANUT INTERCROPPING

1. State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather (LASW), Chinese Academy of Meteorological Science, Beijing 100081, China.

2. China Agricultural University, College of Agricultural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.

3. Wageningen University, Centre for Crop Systems Analysis (CSA), Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands.

4. Tillage and Cultivation Research Institute, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang 110161, China.

5. Shanxi Agricultural University, College of Agriculture, Taigu 030800, China.

Accepted: 2021-06-04 Available online: 2021-06-21

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Abstract

Intercropping increases crop yields by optimizing light interception and/or use efficiency. Although intercropping combinations and metrics have been reported, the effects of plant density on light use are not well documented. Here, we examined the light interception and use efficiency in maize-peanut intercropping with different maize plant densities in two row configurations in semiarid dryland agriculture over a two-year period. The field experiment comprised four cropping systems, i.e. monocropped maize, monocropped peanut, maize-peanut intercropping with two rows of maize and four rows of peanut, intercropping with four rows of maize and four rows of peanut, and three maize plant densities (3.0, 4.5 and 6.0 plants m−1 row) in both monocropped and intercropping maize. The mean total light interception in intercropping across years and densities was 779 MJ·m−2, 5.5% higher than in monocropped peanut (737 MJ·m−2) and 7.6% lower than in monocropped maize (843 MJ·m−2). Increasing maize density increased light interception in monocropped maize but did not affect the total light interception in the intercrops. Across years the LUE of maize was 2.9 g·MJ−1 and was not affected by cropping system but increased with maize plant density. The LUE of peanut was enhanced in intercropping, especially in a wetter year. The yield advantage of maize-peanut intercropping resulted mainly from the LUE of peanut. These results will help to optimize agronomic management and system design and provide evidence for system level light use efficiency in intercropping.

 

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