Effects of water levels on plant traits and nitrogen use efficiency in monoculture and intercropped artificial grasslands
Water availability is the main factor affecting the forage productivity of artificial grasslands, particularly in semi-arid regions. Generally, intercropping of gramineous grass and leguminous grass can achieve high productivity. However, how different water availability levels affect the productivi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.958852/full |
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| author | Zhiqiang Wan Zhiqiang Wan Zhiqiang Wan Rui Gu Yulong Yan Yulong Yan Yulong Yan Lijun Bai Lijun Bai Tiejun Bao Tiejun Bao Tiejun Bao Jie Yang Jie Yang Jie Yang Qingzhu Gao Hasbagan Ganjurjav Guozheng Hu Haijun Zhou Haijun Zhou Haijun Zhou Xi Chun Xi Chun Xi Chun |
| author_facet | Zhiqiang Wan Zhiqiang Wan Zhiqiang Wan Rui Gu Yulong Yan Yulong Yan Yulong Yan Lijun Bai Lijun Bai Tiejun Bao Tiejun Bao Tiejun Bao Jie Yang Jie Yang Jie Yang Qingzhu Gao Hasbagan Ganjurjav Guozheng Hu Haijun Zhou Haijun Zhou Haijun Zhou Xi Chun Xi Chun Xi Chun |
| author_sort | Zhiqiang Wan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Water availability is the main factor affecting the forage productivity of artificial grasslands, particularly in semi-arid regions. Generally, intercropping of gramineous grass and leguminous grass can achieve high productivity. However, how different water availability levels affect the productivity of intercropping system remains unclear. Here, we conducted a 3-year (2015–2017) study by manipulating the water conditions (CK equivalent to the annual precipitation, +50% treatment equivalent to 50% increase over the average precipitation, and −50% treatment equivalent to 50% decrease over the average precipitation) to explore the responses of plant traits, nitrogen use efficiency, and biomass of the monoculture of Medicago sativa (a leguminous grass, M.s), monoculture of Elymus nutans (a gramineous grass, E.n), and intercropping of M.s and E.n in a semi-arid region in Inner Mongolia, China. The results showed that the biomass obtained by intercropping of M.s and E.n decreased by 24.4% in −50% treatment compared to the CK treatment, while that of the monoculture of M.s decreased by 34.4% under the −50% treatment compared to the CK treatment. However, there was no significant difference in the biomass between intercropping artificial grassland and monoculture M. sativa under +50% treatment. Compared to monoculture, M.s can obtain more nitrogen by biological nitrogen fixation and decrease the proportion of nitrogen absorbed from soils under intercropping in the same water conditions. Under the intercropping system, the proportions of nitrogen absorbed from soils by M.s were 87.4%, 85.1, and 76.9% in −50%, CK, and +50% treatments, respectively. Under monoculture, these proportions were 91.9, 89.3, and 82.3% in −50%, CK, and +50% treatments, respectively. Plant trait, but not soil nitrogen content, was the main regulator for the productivity responses to water level changes. Our results highlight that intercropping can achieve higher productivity in both dry and wet conditions. Therefore, considering the fluctuating rainfall events in the future, it might be useful to alter the proportions of intercropped forage species in an artificial grassland to obtain optimal productivity by reducing the limitations of nitrogen availability. However, the economic viability of intercropping M. sativa and E. nutans should be evaluated in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T10:36:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28e8ca04a2674bf88b8d207370522595 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T10:36:42Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-28e8ca04a2674bf88b8d2073705225952022-12-22T02:50:02ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2022-07-011310.3389/fpls.2022.958852958852Effects of water levels on plant traits and nitrogen use efficiency in monoculture and intercropped artificial grasslandsZhiqiang Wan0Zhiqiang Wan1Zhiqiang Wan2Rui Gu3Yulong Yan4Yulong Yan5Yulong Yan6Lijun Bai7Lijun Bai8Tiejun Bao9Tiejun Bao10Tiejun Bao11Jie Yang12Jie Yang13Jie Yang14Qingzhu Gao15Hasbagan Ganjurjav16Guozheng Hu17Haijun Zhou18Haijun Zhou19Haijun Zhou20Xi Chun21Xi Chun22Xi Chun23College of Geographical Science, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, ChinaKey Laboratory of Mongolian Plateau’s Climate System, Hohhot, ChinaInner Mongolia Autonomous Region Wetland Restoration Engineering Autonomous Region, Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaInner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaInner Mongolia Environmental Monitoring Center Station, Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaInner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaInner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaKey Laboratory for Agro-Environment & Climate Change of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, ChinaKey Laboratory for Agro-Environment & Climate Change of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, ChinaKey Laboratory for Agro-Environment & Climate Change of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Geographical Science, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, ChinaKey Laboratory of Mongolian Plateau’s Climate System, Hohhot, ChinaInner Mongolia Autonomous Region Wetland Restoration Engineering Autonomous Region, Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Geographical Science, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, ChinaKey Laboratory of Mongolian Plateau’s Climate System, Hohhot, ChinaInner Mongolia Autonomous Region Wetland Restoration Engineering Autonomous Region, Hohhot, ChinaWater availability is the main factor affecting the forage productivity of artificial grasslands, particularly in semi-arid regions. Generally, intercropping of gramineous grass and leguminous grass can achieve high productivity. However, how different water availability levels affect the productivity of intercropping system remains unclear. Here, we conducted a 3-year (2015–2017) study by manipulating the water conditions (CK equivalent to the annual precipitation, +50% treatment equivalent to 50% increase over the average precipitation, and −50% treatment equivalent to 50% decrease over the average precipitation) to explore the responses of plant traits, nitrogen use efficiency, and biomass of the monoculture of Medicago sativa (a leguminous grass, M.s), monoculture of Elymus nutans (a gramineous grass, E.n), and intercropping of M.s and E.n in a semi-arid region in Inner Mongolia, China. The results showed that the biomass obtained by intercropping of M.s and E.n decreased by 24.4% in −50% treatment compared to the CK treatment, while that of the monoculture of M.s decreased by 34.4% under the −50% treatment compared to the CK treatment. However, there was no significant difference in the biomass between intercropping artificial grassland and monoculture M. sativa under +50% treatment. Compared to monoculture, M.s can obtain more nitrogen by biological nitrogen fixation and decrease the proportion of nitrogen absorbed from soils under intercropping in the same water conditions. Under the intercropping system, the proportions of nitrogen absorbed from soils by M.s were 87.4%, 85.1, and 76.9% in −50%, CK, and +50% treatments, respectively. Under monoculture, these proportions were 91.9, 89.3, and 82.3% in −50%, CK, and +50% treatments, respectively. Plant trait, but not soil nitrogen content, was the main regulator for the productivity responses to water level changes. Our results highlight that intercropping can achieve higher productivity in both dry and wet conditions. Therefore, considering the fluctuating rainfall events in the future, it might be useful to alter the proportions of intercropped forage species in an artificial grassland to obtain optimal productivity by reducing the limitations of nitrogen availability. However, the economic viability of intercropping M. sativa and E. nutans should be evaluated in the future.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.958852/fullforagesefficiencyproductivitynutrientmonocultureintercropping |
| spellingShingle | Zhiqiang Wan Zhiqiang Wan Zhiqiang Wan Rui Gu Yulong Yan Yulong Yan Yulong Yan Lijun Bai Lijun Bai Tiejun Bao Tiejun Bao Tiejun Bao Jie Yang Jie Yang Jie Yang Qingzhu Gao Hasbagan Ganjurjav Guozheng Hu Haijun Zhou Haijun Zhou Haijun Zhou Xi Chun Xi Chun Xi Chun Effects of water levels on plant traits and nitrogen use efficiency in monoculture and intercropped artificial grasslands Frontiers in Plant Science forages efficiency productivity nutrient monoculture intercropping |
| title | Effects of water levels on plant traits and nitrogen use efficiency in monoculture and intercropped artificial grasslands |
| title_full | Effects of water levels on plant traits and nitrogen use efficiency in monoculture and intercropped artificial grasslands |
| title_fullStr | Effects of water levels on plant traits and nitrogen use efficiency in monoculture and intercropped artificial grasslands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of water levels on plant traits and nitrogen use efficiency in monoculture and intercropped artificial grasslands |
| title_short | Effects of water levels on plant traits and nitrogen use efficiency in monoculture and intercropped artificial grasslands |
| title_sort | effects of water levels on plant traits and nitrogen use efficiency in monoculture and intercropped artificial grasslands |
| topic | forages efficiency productivity nutrient monoculture intercropping |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.958852/full |
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