Intercropping Vicia sativa L. Improves the Moisture, Microbial Community, Enzyme Activity and Nutrient in Rhizosphere Soils of Young Kiwifruit Plants and Enhances Plant Growth

Abstract

Drought, low nutrition, and weeds have become the major limiting factors of young kiwifruit orchards. In this study, the effects of intercropping Vicia sativa L. on the moisture, microbe community, enzyme activity, and nutrients in rhizosphere soils of young kiwifruit plants and their growth were investigated. The results show that intercropping V. sativa could effectively enhance soil moisture by 1.39–1.47 folds compared with clean tillage. Moreover, intercropping V. sativa could significantly (p < 0.01) increase the microbial community, enzyme activity and nutrient of kiwifruit rhizosphere soils, and improve plant height, stem girth, leaf number, maximum leaf length, maximum leaf width, and chlorophyll content of young kiwifruit plants by 43.60%, 18.68%, 43.75%, 18.09%, 21.15%, and 67.57% compared to clean tillage, respectively. The moisture, microbial quantity, enzyme activity, and nutrients in rhizosphere soils of young kiwifruit plants exhibited good correlations with their plant height, stem girth, leaf number, maximum leaf length, maximum leaf width, and chlorophyll content. This study highlights that intercropping V. sativa in young kiwifruit orchard can be used as an effective, labor-saving, economical and sustainable practice to improve the moisture, microbial community, enzyme activity, and nutrient of soils, and enhance kiwifruit plant growth and control weeds.

Designing Novel Strategies for Improving Old Legumes: An Overview from Common Vetch

“…Although the most well-characterized intercropped systems are those of legume cereal, other systems have been documented as intercropping with rapeseed ( Brassica napus L.), which require higher levels of N fertilizers [ 73 ]. Additionally, the use of V. sativa in kiwifruit orchards increases the microbial community, moisture, and nutrients in the soil, activating plant growth [ 74 ].…”

Kiwifruit-A.blazei intercropping effectively improved yield productivity, nutrient uptake, and rhizospheric bacterial community

“…Multiple studies have demonstrated that kiwifruit can be successfully grown in intercropping systems combined with a variety of crops, such as Amorphophallus konjac, Trifolium repens, Lupin spp., Vulpia myuros, Astragalus spp. (Milk vetch), Lolium perenne L., Vicia sativa L., Reineckea carnea, etc [13][14][15]. In particular, intercropping with Vicia sativa L. and Reineckea carnea has been shown to signi cantly improve the moisture content, microbial community, enzyme activity, and nutrient levels in the rhizosphere soils of kiwifruit plants, enhancing the yield and quality of kiwifruits.…”

Nitrate Leaching in Maize (Zea mays L.) and Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Irrigated Cropping Systems under Nitrification Inhibitor and/or Intercropping Effects

“…In this regard, vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is a very well adapted to Mediterranean conditions forage crop, usually used as an intercrop [19]. Its use is highly recommended, not only due to its high yield and protein content, but also because of its many and well-known effects of improving soil moisture, nutrient content, microbial community [20] and the overall crop sustainability [21].…”