Abstract
Intercropping is widespread in small-holder farming systems in tropical regions and is also practiced in the cultivation of indigenous vegetables, to alleviate the multiple burdens of malnutrition. Due to interspecific competition and/or cooperation between intercrops, intercropping may lead to changes in plants accumulation of minerals and secondary metabolites and hence, alter nutritional quality for consumers. Intercropping aims to intensify land productivity, while ensuring that nutritional quality is not compromised. This study aimed to investigate changes in minerals and secondary plant metabolites in intercropped Brassica carinata and Solanum scabrum, two important African indigenous vegetables, and evaluated the suitability of this combination for dryer areas. B. carinata and S. scabrum were grown for six weeks under controlled conditions in a greenhouse trial. Large rootboxes (8000 cm3 volume) were specifically designed for this experiment. Each rootbox was planted with two plants, either of the same plant species (mono) or one of each plant species (mixed). A quartz sand/soil substrate was used and fertilized adequately for optimal plant growth. During the last four weeks of the experiment, the plants were either supplied with optimal (65% WHC) or low (30% WHC) irrigation, to test the effect of a late-season drought. Intercropping increased total glucosinolate content in B. carinata, while maintaining biomass production and the contents of other health related minerals/compounds in both B. carinata and S. scabrum. Moreover, low irrigation led to an increase in carotene accumulation in both mono and intercropped S. scabrum, but not in B. carinata, while the majority of kampferol glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives of both species were decreased by intercropping and drought treatment. This study indicates that some health-related phytochemicals can be modified by intercropping or late-season drought, but field validation of these results is necessary before definite recommendation can be made to stakeholders.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping increased total glucosinolate content in Brassica carinata.
- Taxon
- B. carinata
Brassica carinatae1 - Treatment
- Intercroppinge1
- Outcome
- total glucosinolate contente1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Comparator
- monoe2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Intercropping increased total glucosinolate content in B. carinata”
e2“either of the same plant species (mono) or one of each plant species (mixed)”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping maintained biomass production and the contents of other health-related minerals and compounds in Brassica carinata.
- Taxon
- B. carinataBrassica carinatae1
- Treatment
- Intercroppinge1
- Outcome
- biomass production and the contents of other health related minerals/compoundse1
- Direction
- maintaininge1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Intercropping increased total glucosinolate content in B. carinata, while maintaining biomass production and the contents of other health related minerals/compounds in both B. carinata and S. scabrum”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping maintained biomass production and the contents of other health-related minerals and compounds in Solanum scabrum.
- Taxon
- S. scabrum
Solanum scabrume1 - Treatment
- Intercroppinge1
- Outcome
- biomass production and the contents of other health related minerals/compoundse1
- Direction
- maintaininge1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Intercropping increased total glucosinolate content in B. carinata, while maintaining biomass production and the contents of other health related minerals/compounds in both B. carinata and S. scabrum”
Claim · model-written summary
Low irrigation increased carotene accumulation in both mono and intercropped Solanum scabrum.
- Taxon
- S. scabrumSolanum scabrume4
- Treatment
- low irrigatione4
- Outcome
- carotene accumulatione4
- Direction
- increasee4
- Qualifier
- both mono and intercroppede4
- Comparator
- optimal (65% WHC)e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“the plants were either supplied with optimal (65% WHC) or low (30% WHC) irrigation”
e4“Moreover, low irrigation led to an increase in carotene accumulation in both mono and intercropped S. scabrum”
Claim · model-written summary
Low irrigation did not increase carotene accumulation in Brassica carinata.
- Taxon
- B. carinataBrassica carinatae5
- Treatment
- low irrigatione4
- Outcome
- carotene accumulatione4
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede5
- Comparator
- optimal (65% WHC)e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Moreover, low irrigation led to an increase in carotene accumulation in both mono and intercropped S. scabrum”
e3“the plants were either supplied with optimal (65% WHC) or low (30% WHC) irrigation”
e5“but not in B. carinata”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping and drought treatment decreased the majority of kaempferol glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives in Brassica carinata.
- Taxon
- B. carinataBrassica carinatae5
- Treatment
- intercropping and drought treatmente6
- Outcome
- kampferol glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acid derivativese6
- Direction
- decreasede6
- Qualifier
- the majority ofe6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“but not in B. carinata”
e6“the majority of kampferol glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives of both species were decreased by intercropping and drought treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping and drought treatment decreased the majority of kaempferol glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives in Solanum scabrum.
- Taxon
- S. scabrumSolanum scabrume4
- Treatment
- intercropping and drought treatmente6
- Outcome
- kampferol glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acid derivativese6
- Direction
- decreasede6
- Qualifier
- the majority ofe6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Moreover, low irrigation led to an increase in carotene accumulation in both mono and intercropped S. scabrum”
e6“the majority of kampferol glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives of both species were decreased by intercropping and drought treatment”
The same questions in other papers
intercropping · yield · Brassica carinata (Ethiopian mustard)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- positive
irrigation · quality: phytochemicals · Brassica carinata (Ethiopian mustard)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- positive
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.