Interspecific Competition as Affected by Nitrogen Application in Sweet Corn–Soybean Intercropping System
Corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.)–soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> (L.) Merr.) intercropping is one of the main traditional intercropping systems used. We hypothesized that sweet corn–soybean intercropping with reduced nitrogen application could improve the crops’ fresh grain yield and ni...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/9/2268 |
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| author | Xia Yu Shihao Xiao Tingxian Yan Zhongping Chen Quan Zhou Yuzhuo Pan Wenting Yang Meijuan Lu |
| author_facet | Xia Yu Shihao Xiao Tingxian Yan Zhongping Chen Quan Zhou Yuzhuo Pan Wenting Yang Meijuan Lu |
| author_sort | Xia Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.)–soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> (L.) Merr.) intercropping is one of the main traditional intercropping systems used. We hypothesized that sweet corn–soybean intercropping with reduced nitrogen application could improve the crops’ fresh grain yield and nitrogen acquisition. We clarified whether sweet corn intercropped with soybean has the advantages of improved crop yield and carbon and nitrogen accumulation and assessed interspecific competition in the intercropping systems. A four-year (2017–2020) field experiment was conducted with three nitrogen application levels (0, 150, and 300 kg∙ha<sup>−1</sup>) and three planting patterns (monocropped sweet corn, monocropped soybean, sweet corn–soybean intercropping) at Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China. The LER (land equivalent ratio), AG (aggressivity), and CR (competitive ratio) were calculated using the fresh grain yield and nitrogen and carbon accumulation of sweet corn and soybean. The LER values were greater than 1.0 in most of the intercropped patterns, except for the value based on the crops’ fresh grain yield without nitrogen application in 2020. Sweet corn had greater values of CR and AG than soybean in the intercropping system. Compared with common nitrogen application (300 kg∙ha<sup>−1</sup>), reduced nitrogen application (150 kg∙ha<sup>−1</sup>) did not significantly reduce the LER or the average CR and AG values. Under reduced nitrogen application, the values of LER, CR, and AG, based on the crops’ fresh grain yield and nitrogen acquisition, were not significantly different between the four years. In conclusion, based on the LER, CR, and AG, sweet corn–soybean intercropping had the advantage of crop yield and nitrogen acquisition, and sweet corn was the superior competitor. Sweet corn–soybean intercropping with nitrogen application (150 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup>) showed good inter-annual stability of crop productivity and competitiveness of the sweet corn. |
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| language | English |
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| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-058585caf2cc42d7aeae4d1dbd3c77ea2023-11-19T09:09:55ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952023-08-01139226810.3390/agronomy13092268Interspecific Competition as Affected by Nitrogen Application in Sweet Corn–Soybean Intercropping SystemXia Yu0Shihao Xiao1Tingxian Yan2Zhongping Chen3Quan Zhou4Yuzhuo Pan5Wenting Yang6Meijuan Lu7Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaInstitute of Crop Sciences, Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang 330200, ChinaAgricultural Technology Extension Center of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang 330046, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaCorn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.)–soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> (L.) Merr.) intercropping is one of the main traditional intercropping systems used. We hypothesized that sweet corn–soybean intercropping with reduced nitrogen application could improve the crops’ fresh grain yield and nitrogen acquisition. We clarified whether sweet corn intercropped with soybean has the advantages of improved crop yield and carbon and nitrogen accumulation and assessed interspecific competition in the intercropping systems. A four-year (2017–2020) field experiment was conducted with three nitrogen application levels (0, 150, and 300 kg∙ha<sup>−1</sup>) and three planting patterns (monocropped sweet corn, monocropped soybean, sweet corn–soybean intercropping) at Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China. The LER (land equivalent ratio), AG (aggressivity), and CR (competitive ratio) were calculated using the fresh grain yield and nitrogen and carbon accumulation of sweet corn and soybean. The LER values were greater than 1.0 in most of the intercropped patterns, except for the value based on the crops’ fresh grain yield without nitrogen application in 2020. Sweet corn had greater values of CR and AG than soybean in the intercropping system. Compared with common nitrogen application (300 kg∙ha<sup>−1</sup>), reduced nitrogen application (150 kg∙ha<sup>−1</sup>) did not significantly reduce the LER or the average CR and AG values. Under reduced nitrogen application, the values of LER, CR, and AG, based on the crops’ fresh grain yield and nitrogen acquisition, were not significantly different between the four years. In conclusion, based on the LER, CR, and AG, sweet corn–soybean intercropping had the advantage of crop yield and nitrogen acquisition, and sweet corn was the superior competitor. Sweet corn–soybean intercropping with nitrogen application (150 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup>) showed good inter-annual stability of crop productivity and competitiveness of the sweet corn.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/9/2268sweet corn–soybean intercroppingyieldcompetitive ratioaggressivity |
| spellingShingle | Xia Yu Shihao Xiao Tingxian Yan Zhongping Chen Quan Zhou Yuzhuo Pan Wenting Yang Meijuan Lu Interspecific Competition as Affected by Nitrogen Application in Sweet Corn–Soybean Intercropping System Agronomy sweet corn–soybean intercropping yield competitive ratio aggressivity |
| title | Interspecific Competition as Affected by Nitrogen Application in Sweet Corn–Soybean Intercropping System |
| title_full | Interspecific Competition as Affected by Nitrogen Application in Sweet Corn–Soybean Intercropping System |
| title_fullStr | Interspecific Competition as Affected by Nitrogen Application in Sweet Corn–Soybean Intercropping System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interspecific Competition as Affected by Nitrogen Application in Sweet Corn–Soybean Intercropping System |
| title_short | Interspecific Competition as Affected by Nitrogen Application in Sweet Corn–Soybean Intercropping System |
| title_sort | interspecific competition as affected by nitrogen application in sweet corn soybean intercropping system |
| topic | sweet corn–soybean intercropping yield competitive ratio aggressivity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/9/2268 |
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