Nitrogen fixation and transfer in intercrop systems

Stern, WR

doi:10.1016/0378-4290(93)90121-3

Cited by 134 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Nitrogen may have been transferred from roots of legume to the roots of triticale, however the existence of such transfer is still insufficiently supported by research (Jensen 1996, Hauggaard-Nielsen et al 2001. Triticale may have used nitrogen also from decaying and mineralizing roots of field beans at the end of growth period as it was suggested by Stern (1993) for any legume-nonlegume inercrop. Bulson et al (1997) also observed increase in N content in wheat grain due to intercropping with field beans in additive intercrop.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competition between triticale (Triticosecale Witt.) and field beans (Vicia faba var. minor L.) in additive intercrops

Sobkowicz¹

2006

PLANT SOIL ENVIRON

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47The rationale behind intercropping, as a method of sustainable crop production is that the more diverse system represented by two or more crops grown together should better utilize common limiting resources than the species grown separately. The first problem that can be met when planning efficient cereal-legume intercrop is the choice of the appropriate ratio of component species that produces maximum yield of the intercrop. However the highest yielding ratio of species cannot be known beforehand, in many experiments researchers form the intercrop by adding half of the recommended in pure stand seeding density of each of the component species. The design is termed then "proportional replacement series design" or "proportional substitutive design" (Jolliffe 2000) with 50%/50% proportion of the components. In the design, proportion means the percentage of seeding density derived from pure stand and used to form the intercrop. Using the only one ratio of species in the intercrop is usually the result of limitation in size of any intercrop experiment because an additional factor is often used in such research, for instance different rates of fertilizer. Levels of the factor are then multiplied by pure stand and the intercrop treatments enlarging experimental structure. Such an approach is appropriate, but according to Connolly (1986) the most productive ratio of components in the intercrop can be found only experimentally.The second problem in the intercropping practice is the proper choice of total density of plants per unit area for an intercrop, namely the lowest total density of plants that produces maximum yield of the intercrop. Plant density of a most productive intercrop may be higher than that imposed by the rule used in proportional substitutive design because it may be assumed that component species are able to better utilize resources when intercropped then when they are grown alone (Spitters 1983). Even if the issues are being considered prior to sowing, the next difficulty in designing the efficient intercrop results from unpredictable outcome of interactions between component species and between the species and the environment (Fukai and Trenbath 1993 ABSTRACTIn a microplot experiment conducted in 1999 and 2000 on light soil triticale and field beans were grown as sole crops and in the intercrop system. Two pure stand plant densities were established: 200 and 400 plants/m 2 for triticale and 50 and 100 plants/m 2 for field beans. Four possible intercropping combinations were obtained by adding densities of both crops. Triticale was a better competitor than field beans in all intercrops resulting in competitive balance index significantly greater than zero. The number of pods per plant of field beans was significantly reduced in all intercropping combinations compared to the pure stands, however quality of grain of the legume was unaffected by competition. Intercrop comprising 200 plants/m 2 of triticale and 50 plants/m 2 of field beans was most productive in the experiment but addition 50 more pla...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competition between triticale (Triticosecale Witt.) and field beans (Vicia faba var. minor L.) in additive intercrops

Sobkowicz¹

2006

PLANT SOIL ENVIRON

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“…Several authors, using 15 N labelling methods and root compartment techniques (e.g. Khan et al 2002aKhan et al , 2002bMayer et al 2003), have shown the effects of the legume on facilitating the acquisition of nitrogen by the cereal (Stern 1993;Jensen 1996b;Xiao et al 2004;Chalk et al 2014) and the transfer of nitrogen from the legume to the cereal. These exchanges are explained by the production by the legume roots of relatively labile nitrogen-rich exudates in the form of NH 4 + (Brophy and Heichel 1989), NO 3 − (Wacquant et al 1989), amino acids (Paynel et al 2001(Paynel et al , 2008Lesuffleur et al 2013) or decomposing plant parts (Johansen and Jensen 1996;Fustec et al 2010).…”

Section: The Lower the Soil Nitrogen Availability The Greater The Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological principles underlying the increase of productivity achieved by cereal-grain legume intercrops in organic farming. A review

Bedoussac¹,

Journet

Hauggaard-Nielsen

et al. 2015

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

578

460

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World population is projected to reach over nine billion by the year 2050, and ensuring food security while mitigating environmental impacts represents a major agricultural challenge. Thus, higher productivity must be reached through sustainable production by taking into account climate change, resources rarefaction like phosphorus and water, and losses of fertile lands. Enhancing crop diversity is increasingly recognized as a crucial lever for sustainable agro-ecological development. Growing legumes, a major biological nitrogen source, is also a powerful option to reduce synthetic nitrogen fertilizers use and associated fossil energy consumption. Organic farming, which does not allow the use of chemical, is also regarded as one prototype to enhance the sustainability of modern agriculture while decreasing environmental impacts. Here, we review the potential advantages of eco-functional intensification in organic farming by intercropping cereal and grain legume species sown and harvested together. Our review is based on a literature analysis reinforced with integration of an original dataset of 58 field experiments conducted since 2001 in contrasted pedo-climatic European conditions in order to generalize the findings and draw up common guidelines. The major points are that intercropping lead to: (i) higher and more stable grain yield than the mean sole crops (0.33 versus 0.27 kg m −2 ), (ii) higher cereal protein concentration than in sole crop (11.1 versus 9.8 %), (iii) higher and more stable gross margin than the mean sole crops (702 versus 577€ha −1 ) and (iv) improved use of abiotic resources according to species complementarities for light interception and use of both soil mineral nitrogen and atmospheric N 2 . Intercropping is particularly suited for low-nitrogen availability systems but further mechanistic understanding is required to propose generic crop management procedures. Also, development of this practice must be achieved with the collaboration of value chain actors such as breeders to select cultivars suited to intercropping.

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“…However, as well as legume-based symbiotic N fixation, associative forms of N fixation, such as those in the rhizospheres of graminaceous plants such as sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum), maize and sorghum (Monteiro et al 2012) also occur and can be significant in terms of amounts of N fixed and apparently transferred to the associated plants (Dobbelaere et al 2003). Dinitrogen fixed by legumes, is either taken up by the legume itself, or released during growth, at maturity or when plant tissues decay (Stern 1993). In multiple-crop systems, N released may become directly available to the component crop, or is incorporated into the organic matter of the soil, where it is transformed, of which some forms may then become available to the component crop, succeeding crops, or is leached out of the root zone or lost to the atmosphere (Stern 1993;Pappa et al 2011).…”

Section: Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In low-input cereal-legume intercrops, the most important source of nitrogen is derived from the atmosphere and fixed by legume species (Stern 1993). Biological N fixation contributes a large proportion to the terrestrial N budget (Bever et al 2010).…”

Section: Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dinitrogen fixed by legumes, is either taken up by the legume itself, or released during growth, at maturity or when plant tissues decay (Stern 1993). In multiple-crop systems, N released may become directly available to the component crop, or is incorporated into the organic matter of the soil, where it is transformed, of which some forms may then become available to the component crop, succeeding crops, or is leached out of the root zone or lost to the atmosphere (Stern 1993;Pappa et al 2011).…”

Section: Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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