Abstract
SUMMARY Intercropping systems that include legumes can provide symbiotically fixed nitrogen (N) and potentially increase yield through improved resource use efficiency. The aims of the present study were: (a) to evaluate the effects of different legumes (species and varieties) and barley on grain yield, dry matter production and N uptake of the intercrop treatments compared with the associated cereal sole crop; (b) to assess the effects on the yields of the next grain crop and (c) to determine the accumulation of N in shoots of the crops in a low-input rotation. An experiment was established near Edinburgh, UK, consisting of 12 hydrologically isolated plots. Treatments were a spring barley ( Hordeum vulgare cvar Westminster) sole crop and intercrops of barley/white clover ( Trifolium repens cvar Alice) and barley/pea ( Pisum sativum cvar Zero4 or cvar Nitouche) in 2006. All the plots were sown with spring oats ( Avena sativa cvar Firth) in 2007 and perennial ryegrass in 2008. No fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides were used at any stage of the experiment. Above-ground biomass (barley, clover, pea, oat and ryegrass) and grain yields (barley, pea and oat) were measured at key stages during the growing seasons of 2006, 2007 and 2008; land equivalent ratio (LER) was measured only in 2006. At harvest, the total above-ground biomass of barley intercropped with clover (4·56 t biomass/ha) and barley intercropped with pea cvar Zero4 (4·49 t biomass/ha) were significantly different from the barley sole crop (3·05 t biomass/ha; P <0·05). The grain yield of the barley (2006) intercropped with clover (3·36 t grain/ha) was significantly greater than that in the other treatments ( P <0·01). The accumulation of N in barley was low in 2006, but significantly higher ( P <0·05) in the oat grown the following year on the same plots. The present study demonstrates for the first time that intercrops can affect the grain yield and N uptake of the following crop (spring oats) in a rotation. Differences were also linked to the contrasting legume species and cultivars present in the previous year's intercrop. Legume choice is essential to optimize the plant productivity in intercropping designs. Cultivars chosen for intercropping purposes must take into account the effects upon the growth of the partner crop/s as well as to the following crop, including environmental factors.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Barley with clover produced 4·56 t biomass/ha, significantly different from barley alone at 3·05 t biomass/ha.
- Taxon
- barley
.jpg?width=60)
Hordeum vulgaree0 - Treatment
- intercropped with clovere0
- Outcome
- total above-ground biomasse0
- Value
- 4·56 t biomass/hae0
- Qualifier
- 3·05 t biomass/ha; P <0·05e0
- Comparator
- barley sole crope0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“the total above-ground biomass of barley intercropped with clover (4·56 t biomass/ha) and barley intercropped with pea cvar Zero4 (4·49 t biomass/ha) were significantly different from the barley sole crop (3·05 t biomass/ha; P <0·05)”
Claim · model-written summary
Barley with pea cultivar Zero4 produced 4·49 t biomass/ha, significantly different from barley alone at 3·05 t biomass/ha.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree0
- Treatment
- intercropped with pea cvar Zero4e0
- Outcome
- total above-ground biomasse0
- Value
- 4·49 t biomass/hae0
- Qualifier
- 3·05 t biomass/ha; P <0·05e0
- Comparator
- barley sole crope0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the total above-ground biomass of barley intercropped with clover (4·56 t biomass/ha) and barley intercropped with pea cvar Zero4 (4·49 t biomass/ha) were significantly different from the barley sole crop (3·05 t biomass/ha; P <0·05)”
Claim · model-written summary
Barley intercropped with clover yielded 3·36 t grain/ha, significantly above other treatments.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree0
- Treatment
- intercropped with clovere0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 3·36 t grain/hae0
- Qualifier
- P <0·01e0
- Comparator
- other treatmentse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The grain yield of the barley (2006) intercropped with clover (3·36 t grain/ha) was significantly greater than that in the other treatments ( P <0·01).”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen accumulation in barley was low in 2006.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree0
- Outcome
- accumulation of Ne0
- Direction
- lowe0
- Qualifier
- 2006e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The accumulation of N in barley was low in 2006, but significantly higher ( P <0·05) in the oat grown the following year on the same plots.”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen accumulation was significantly higher in the following year’s oats than in barley in 2006.
- Taxon
- oat
Avena sativae0 - Outcome
- accumulation of Ne0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- the following year on the same plotse0
- Comparator
- barleye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The accumulation of N in barley was low in 2006, but significantly higher ( P <0·05) in the oat grown the following year on the same plots.”
Claim · model-written summary
The study concludes that intercrops affect subsequent spring-oat grain yield.
- Taxon
- spring oatsAvena sativae0
- Treatment
- intercropse0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“intercrops can affect the grain yield and N uptake of the following crop (spring oats) in a rotation”
Claim · model-written summary
The study concludes that intercrops affect subsequent spring-oat nitrogen uptake.
- Taxon
- spring oatsAvena sativae0
- Treatment
- intercropse0
- Outcome
- N uptakee0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“intercrops can affect the grain yield and N uptake of the following crop (spring oats) in a rotation”
Claim · model-written summary
Differences in following-crop effects were linked to prior legume species and cultivars.
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“Differences were also linked to the contrasting legume species and cultivars present in the previous year's intercrop.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend choosing intercrop legumes to optimize plant productivity and accounting for effects on partner and following crops.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Legume choice is essential to optimize the plant productivity in intercropping designs. Cultivars chosen for intercropping purposes must take into account the effects upon the growth of the partner crop/s as well as to the following crop, including environmental factors.”
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intercropping · yield · Hordeum vulgare (barley)Results differ
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- positive
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8 papers in the same direction as this paper · 3 in the opposite direction · 2 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
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See all 14 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.