Changes in soil characteristics after six seasons of cereal–legume intercropping in the Southern Pampa

Oelbermann, Maren; Regehr, Alison; Echarte, Laura

doi:10.1016/j.geodrs.2015.01.002

Cited by 17 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…Legume/cereal intercropping has been broadly practiced in many short-season areas, such as the northern Great Plains of Latin America, North America, northwest Eurasia and northwest China where the temperatures only permit one crop per year [1][2][3]. The advantages of legume/cereal intercrops are often assumed to arise from the complementary use of N sources by intercropping with legumes, because intercropped legumes can meet their N demand due to the complementarities between symbiotic N 2 fixation, soil N acquisition and intercropped cereals uptake of more N from the soil than they stand in sole cropping [4][5][6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agronomic and Economic Benefits of Pea/Maize Intercropping Systems in Relation to N Fertilizer and Maize Density

2018

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Abstract:Intercropping has been shown to increase crop yields and improve land utilization in many cases but it is unknown how the interspecies relationship is enhanced with improved crop management schemes. In this study, we investigated the effect of different maize densities and N rates on the growth, crop yields and economic benefits of pea (Pisum sativum L.)/maize (Zea mays L.) intercropping. The results indicated that total yields of pea/maize intercropping were higher than the yield of maize alone, and that pea/maize intercropping improved land use efficiency significantly compared to sole crops, the partial land equivalent ratio (LER) of maize and pea with high planting density increased from 0.98% to 9.36% compared to low planting densities during 2012 and 2013. The pea strips provided significant compensatory effects on the growing maize after the earlier-sown, shorter-seasoned pea was harvested. The crop growth rate (CGR) of the intercropped maize was 18.5% to 216.9% greater than that of sole maize after pea harvest, the leaf area index (LAI) of pea/maize intercropping was 6.9% and 45.4% greater compared with the weighted average of sole maize and sole pea in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Net returns and benefit to cost ratios of pea/maize intercropping were increased with an increase of maize planting density. A low rate of N fertilizer was coupled with increased maize plant density, allowing interspecific facilitation to be fully expressed, thus improving the land utilization rate and increasing economic benefits. Overall, our findings show that a higher density of maize and lower N application can be used to increase grain production with no adverse effects on the growth components of either pea or maize crops. It could be considered an advanced farming system for agricultural sustainable development in the oasis region of northwest China.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agronomic and Economic Benefits of Pea/Maize Intercropping Systems in Relation to N Fertilizer and Maize Density

2018

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“…Soil Taxonomy) or Luvic Phaeozem (FAO Soil Taxonomy) with a loam soil texture consisting of 41.1% sand, 35.8% silt, and 23.1% clay ( INTA , ). In 2007, the soil (0–20 cm) was moderately acidic (pH = 5.78) with a soil organic C (SOC) content of 34.2 g kg −1 ( Oelbermann et al, ). The soil has a low available phosphorus (P) of 7.87 mg kg −1 (Bray‐extractable P) and the slope of the site was < 2%, suggesting little to no potential for water erosion (Videla, 2014; pers.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Initial site‐specific parameters (Tab. ), including soil texture, SOC, bulk density, and soil pH were obtained from previous studies ( Studdert and Echeverría , ; Oelbermann et al, ). The proportion of SOM initial values for the active, slow and passive fractions were 3%, 65% and 32%, respectively ( Metherell et al, ; Yiridoe et al, ; Oelbermann and Voroney , ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, most research on temperate cereal–legume intercrops focused on biomass production ( Chapagain and Riseman , ), fertilizer requirement, erosion control, and nutrient leaching ( Pappa et al, 2011). Although research on the potential of cereal–legume intercrop systems to sequester C ( Oelbermann et al, ) or their role in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ( Pappa et al, 2011; Dyer et al, ) was addressed through a limited number of field studies and some researchers noted that temperate cereal–legume intercrops remain an under‐recognized option as a potential climate change abatement strategy ( Brooker et al, 2015). Knowledge on long‐term C accumulation and changes in active, slow and passive SOC fractions in cereal–legume intercrop systems compared to sole crop systems is limited.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Estimating soil carbon dynamics in intercrop and sole crop agroecosystems using the Century model

Oelbermann

Echarte

Marroquin³

et al. 2017

J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci.

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Using process‐based models to predict changes in carbon (C) stocks enhances our knowledge on the long‐term dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) in various land management systems. The objective of this study was to apply the Century model to evaluate temporal SOC dynamics in two temperate intercrop systems [1:2 (one row of maize and two rows of soybeans); 2:3 intercrop (two rows of maize and three rows of soybean)] and in a maize and soybean sole crop. Upon initiation of intercropping, SOC increased by 47% after ≈ 100 years, whereas SOC in the maize sole crop increased by 21% and 2% in the soybean sole crop. The quantity of crop residue input was sufficient to increase the active (turnover time of months to years) SOC fraction in the intercrops and the maize sole crop, but not in the soybean sole crop. The slow fraction, with a turnover time of 20 to 50 years, increased in all crop systems and was the major driver of SOC accumulation. A 3 to 15% loss of SOC from the passive fraction, with a turnover time of 400 to 2000 years, in all crop systems showed the long‐term impact of land‐use conversion from historically undisturbed native grasslands to intensive agricultural production systems. This study provided an example of the potential of process‐based models like Century to illustrate possible effects of cereal–legume intercropping on SOC dynamics and that the model was able to predict SOC stocks within –7 to +4% of measured values. We conclude, however that further fine‐tuning of the model for application to cereal–legume intercrop systems is required in order to strengthen the relationship between measured and simulated values.

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“…In addition, interplanting can improve the microclimate (decrease wind velocity and increase temperature and air humidity) and resist adverse environmental changes due to its structural complexity. Hence, it has become a promising agroforestry form for its economic and ecological benefits (Oelbermann et al, 2015). In order to select appropriate trees for intercropping, attention should be paid not only to the competition between the crops and interplanted trees for sunlight, water, and nutrients, but also to the harmful allelopathic effects of trees on crops.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Allelopathic effects of decomposed leaf litter from intercropped trees on rape

Zhang¹,

Liu²,

Tian³

et al. 2015

Turk J Agric For

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The allelopathic effect of decomposed litter from trees interplanted with crops is a key problem in the intercrop agroforestry business that could influence the economic benefits and sustainable development of ecoagriculture. In our study, the litter from 12 common intercropped tree species was collected from the Guanzhong Plain (Shaanxi Province, China) and mixed with soil, incubated to allow decomposition for 120 days, and then extracted using water. The water extracts at different concentrations were used for filter paper-dish cultivation of rape (Brassica napus) seeds. Indicators of the germination and growth of seedlings were measured to investigate the allelopathic effects of decomposed litter on rape. The results showed that in rape the most sensitive indicators of harmful allelochemicals derived from decomposed litter were the germination speed index and catalase activity of seedlings. Moreover, extracts of decomposed medium (soil) containing litter from Paulownia fortunei, Acer truncatum, Zanthoxylum bungeanum, Juglans regia, Diospyros kaki, Prunus persica, Prunus armeniaca, and Ziziphus jujube were beneficial to the germination and seedling growth of rape at all concentrations examined, and thus these trees could be safely interplanted with rape. Extracts from Eucommia ulmoides, Populus canadensis, and Malus pumila inhibited the germination and seedling growth of rape, and thus the use of these trees in intercropping should be reduced. Extracts from Pyrus bretschneideri showed growth promotion at lower concentrations (10 and 20 mg mL -1 ) but were growth inhibitive at a high concentration (40 mg mL -1 ); thus, it could be intercropped with rape but at a low density.

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Changes in soil characteristics after six seasons of cereal–legume intercropping in the Southern Pampa

Cited by 17 publications

References 50 publications

Agronomic and Economic Benefits of Pea/Maize Intercropping Systems in Relation to N Fertilizer and Maize Density

Agronomic and Economic Benefits of Pea/Maize Intercropping Systems in Relation to N Fertilizer and Maize Density

Estimating soil carbon dynamics in intercrop and sole crop agroecosystems using the Century model

Allelopathic effects of decomposed leaf litter from intercropped trees on rape

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