Organ removal of maize increases peanut canopy photosynthetic capacity, dry matter accumulation, and yield in maize/peanut intercropping

Abstract

In maize/peanut intercropping systems, shade from maize is a major factor in peanut yield reduction. Reasonable redundant organ removal of maize plants could alleviate this problem and improve intercropped peanut yields. We studied the influences of organ removal of maize on peanut canopy photosynthetic capacity, dry matter accumulation and yield in maize/peanut intercropping systems in 2021 and 2022. Five organ-removal treatments were performed on maize plants to ameliorate the light environments in the peanut canopy. Treatments consisted of removal of the tassel only (T1), the tassel with top two leaves (T2), the tassel with top four leaves (T3), the tassel with top six leaves (T4), the leaves below the second leaf below the ear (T5), with no removal as control (T0). The results showed that organ-removal treatment (T4) significantly improved the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 49.5%) of intercropped peanut canopy. It improved dry matter accumulation by increasing the canopy photosynthetic capacity (canopy apparent photosynthetic rate (CAP), leaf area index (LAI), and specific leaf area (SLA)), ultimately contributing to peanut yield by increasing pod number per plant. Also, the above results were verified by structural equation modeling. The yield of intercropped peanut reached the highest value at T4. At the level of intercropping systems, the land equivalent ratio (LER) peaked at T2 (1.56, averaged over the two years), suggesting that peanut and maize can coexist more harmoniously under T2 treatment. The T2 treatment increased peanut yield by an average of 7.1% over two years and increased maize yield by 4.7% compared to the T0 treatment. The present study suggests that this may be an effective cultivation measure to mitigate intercropping shade stress in terms of adaptive changes in intercropped peanut under maize organ removal conditions, providing a theoretical basis for intercropped peanut yield increase.

The Phenotypic Diversity of 232 Germplasm Accessions Identifies the Adverse Effects of Flowering Redundancy on Peanut Yield

“…The BLUPs of the HPW and SP for HN118 (Huayu 22) in this study were 137.07 g and 61.47%, respectively, which were similar to the P0 treatment (HPW, 120-140 g; SP, 65-68%) in the study by Chen et al [37]. The BLUPs of the HPW (180.93 g) and HSW (66.34 g) for HN121 (Huayu 36) were within the range of values reported in a previous study (HPW, 161.17-185.87 g; HSW, 63.20-67.96 g) [38]. The same results for the HPW and HSW were observed for HN224 (Zhonghua 16) in the study by Zheng et al [39] and ours.…”

Maize/Soybean Intercropping with Straw Return Increases Crop Yield by Influencing the Biological Characteristics of Soil

“…(2) to investigate the effects of the straw return + IMS system on the soil's carbon content and enzyme activity; (3) to clarify the main influencing factors and mechanisms by which the straw return + IMS system determines the biological characteristics of rhizosphere soil; (4) to analyze the influence path of the above factors on crop yield. This study provides a timely, empirical reference for the optimization and promotion of maize/soybean intercropping.…”

“…To date, over 100 intercropping combinations have been demonstrated in China alone [ 3 ]. Among them, combining Gramineae and Fabaceae (Leguminosae) plants is common with maize/soybean intercropping shown to help in not only improving light energy utilization [ 4 ] but also increasing the richness and species number of soil microorganisms while bolstering the available content of soil nutrients and their conversion rates, thereby promoting the aboveground plant growth and development of the target crop [ 5 ]. For instance, in their dynamic analysis of an intercropped maize/soybean system, Liu et al found that intercropped maize had considerably greater α diversity with a higher Shannon’s index at the tassel stage compared to monoculture [ 6 ].…”