Abstract
The agroforestry system, which integrates the strategic intercropping of trees and grasses, is profoundly shaped by complex ecological interactions that dynamically reshape microclimatic environments and significantly impact the growth of understory forage species. Wolfberry–forage intercropping patterns have the potential to improve soil quality and orchard productivity, but their effects on forage cover crops are still unclear. Therefore, this study selects wolfberry and nine forage grass as research subjects to examine the effects of intercropping these species on the morphological characteristics, yield, quality, photosynthetic capacity, and plant physiology of forage grass. Based on experimental data, cover cropping facilitated plant growth, maintained fruit yield, and promoted leaf photosynthesis in forage compared with monocropping. This was exemplified by a notable increase in forage plants under the intercropping system, for the number of primary branches or tillers, and an improvement in the drying ratio of forage grasses, while reducing plant height, leaf-to-stem ratio, and photosynthetic rate (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the intercropping system significantly enhances the dry weight yield of alfalfa, ryegrass, and mangold, with increases of 60%, 64%, and 70%, respectively (p < 0.05). Additionally, it improves forage quality by increasing the crude protein content in ryegrass and mangold by 32% and 10%, respectively, and decreasing acid detergent fiber content by 10% and 18% (p < 0.05). Collectively, the results indicated that mangold, ryegrass, and alfalfa were the optimal cover crops for sustainable wolfberry production in the study area. The use of appropriate wolfberry–forage cover crops enhanced hay yield and the quality of forage by stimulating photosynthetic capacity and biotic stress resistance. Our research elucidates the mechanisms underlying the effects of intercropping systems on forage grass growth, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the development of animal husbandry and the rational utilization of land resources in the Ningxia region.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Cover cropping increased forage growth and leaf photosynthesis compared with monocropping.
Verbatim
e0“cover cropping facilitated plant growth, maintained fruit yield, and promoted leaf photosynthesis in forage compared with monocropping”
Claim · model-written summary
Cover cropping maintained wolfberry fruit yield compared with monocropping.
- Taxon
- Wolfberry
Lycium barbarumt0 - Treatment
- cover croppinge0
- Outcome
- fruit yielde0
- Direction
- maintainede0
- Comparator
- monocroppinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“cover cropping facilitated plant growth, maintained fruit yield, and promoted leaf photosynthesis in forage compared with monocropping”
t0“Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping increased forage branch or tiller number and drying ratio.
- Taxon
- forage grassese0
- Treatment
- intercropping systeme1
- Outcome
- number of primary branches or tillerse1
- Direction
- increasee1
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“an improvement in the drying ratio of forage grasses, while reducing plant height, leaf-to-stem ratio, and photosynthetic rate (p < 0.05)”
e1“a notable increase in forage plants under the intercropping system, for the number of primary branches or tillers”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping reduced forage plant height, leaf-to-stem ratio, and photosynthetic rate.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“reducing plant height, leaf-to-stem ratio, and photosynthetic rate (p < 0.05)”
e1“drying ratio of forage grasses”
e2“under the intercropping system”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping increased alfalfa dry weight yield 60%.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativae0 - Treatment
- intercropping systeme0
- Outcome
- dry weight yielde0
- Direction
- enhancese0
- Value
- 60%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“intercropping system significantly enhances the dry weight yield of alfalfa, ryegrass, and mangold, with increases of 60%, 64%, and 70%, respectively (p < 0.05)”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping increased ryegrass dry weight yield 64%.
LoliumNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“intercropping system significantly enhances the dry weight yield of alfalfa, ryegrass, and mangold, with increases of 60%, 64%, and 70%, respectively (p < 0.05)”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping increased mangold dry weight yield 70%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“intercropping system significantly enhances the dry weight yield of alfalfa, ryegrass, and mangold, with increases of 60%, 64%, and 70%, respectively (p < 0.05)”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping increased ryegrass crude protein 32% and reduced acid detergent fiber 10%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“increasing the crude protein content in ryegrass and mangold by 32% and 10%, respectively, and decreasing acid detergent fiber content by 10% and 18% (p < 0.05)”
e1“Furthermore, the intercropping system”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping increased mangold crude protein 10%.
- Taxon
- mangolde0
- Treatment
- intercropping systeme1
- Outcome
- crude protein contente0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- 10%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“increasing the crude protein content in ryegrass and mangold by 32% and 10%, respectively”
e1“Furthermore, the intercropping system”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping reduced ryegrass acid detergent fiber 10%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“decreasing acid detergent fiber content by 10% and 18% (p < 0.05)”
e1“ryegrass and mangold”
e2“Furthermore, the intercropping system”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping reduced mangold acid detergent fiber 18%.
- Taxon
- mangolde1
- Treatment
- intercropping systeme2
- Outcome
- acid detergent fiber contente0
- Direction
- decreasinge0
- Value
- 18%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“decreasing acid detergent fiber content by 10% and 18% (p < 0.05)”
e1“ryegrass and mangold”
e2“Furthermore, the intercropping system”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors identified mangold, ryegrass, and alfalfa as optimal wolfberry cover crops locally.
- Taxon
- wolfberryLycium barbarume0
- Material
- mangold, ryegrass, and alfalfae0
- Outcome
- optimal cover cropse0
- Setting
- study areae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“mangold, ryegrass, and alfalfa were the optimal cover crops for sustainable wolfberry production in the study area”
The same questions in other papers
intercropping · yield · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Positive and negative results
28 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- negative
31 papers more in this group
See all 35 papers →intercropping · yield · LoliumResults agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
cover crop · yield · Lycium barbarum (wolfberry)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- 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.