Abstract
Abstract Enhancing water productivity and weed control through intercropping is critical for sustainable production in semi-arid regions. A two-year field study (2022–2023) evaluated the combined effects of irrigation level, planting pattern, and weed-control duration on buckwheat ( Fagopyrum esculentum ) and cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata ). Treatments included three irrigation regimes (100%, 85%, and 70% of crop water requirement), five planting patterns (100B, 100 C, 75B–25 C, 50B–50 C, and 25B–75 C), and five weed-control durations (0–8 weeks after sowing). Significant triple interactions ( p < 0.05) were found for grain yield, biomass, irrigation water productivity (IWP), weed biomass, and land equivalent ratio (LER). Buckwheat and cowpea monocultures yielded up to 2397 and 1316 kg ha⁻¹ under full irrigation with eight weeks of weed control, while the 50B–50 C intercrop maintained higher yield stability and weed suppression under deficit irrigation. IWP peaked at 0.57 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ for buckwheat and 0.46 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ for the 50B–50 C intercrop. Weed biomass declined sharply within four weeks of control, and species such as Amaranthus retroflexus density was reduced by more than 50% in intercrops. The 50B–50 C pattern consistently achieved land equivalent ratio (LER) > 1.0 across irrigation levels. Artificial neural network modeling (R² = 0.87–0.92) accurately predicted vertical biomass distribution, emphasizing the strong influence of irrigation and weed control on canopy structure. Overall, balanced intercropping (50B–50 C) combined with moderate deficit irrigation (85%) and at least six weeks of weed control optimized yield, water productivity, and weed suppression in semi-arid conditions.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
The three treatment factors interacted significantly for grain yield, biomass and IWP.
Verbatim
e0“Significant triple interactions ( p < 0.05) were found for grain yield, biomass, irrigation water productivity (IWP)”
t0“Buckwheat”
Claim · model-written summary
The three treatment factors interacted significantly for weed biomass and LER.
- Taxon
- Cowpea
Vigna unguiculatat0 - Outcome
- weed biomass, and land equivalent ratio (LER)e0
- Value
- p < 0.05e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Significant triple interactions ( p < 0.05) were found for grain yield, biomass, irrigation water productivity (IWP), weed biomass, and land equivalent ratio (LER).”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Buckwheat monoculture yielded up to 2397 kg ha⁻¹ with full irrigation and eight weeks of weed control.
Verbatim
e0“Buckwheat and cowpea monocultures yielded up to 2397 and 1316 kg ha⁻¹ under full irrigation with eight weeks of weed control”
t0“Buckwheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea monoculture yielded up to 1316 kg ha⁻¹ under full irrigation and eight weeks of weed control.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatat0
- Treatment
- full irrigation with eight weeks of weed controle0
- Outcome
- yieldede0
- Value
- 1316 kg ha⁻¹e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Buckwheat and cowpea monocultures yielded up to 2397 and 1316 kg ha⁻¹ under full irrigation with eight weeks of weed control”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
The 50B–50 C intercrop maintained higher yield stability under deficit irrigation.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatat0
- Treatment
- 50B–50 C intercrope0
- Outcome
- yield stabilitye0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- under deficit irrigatione0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the 50B–50 C intercrop maintained higher yield stability and weed suppression under deficit irrigation.”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
The 50B–50 C intercrop maintained weed suppression under deficit irrigation.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatat0
- Treatment
- 50B–50 C intercrope0
- Outcome
- weed suppressione0
- Qualifier
- under deficit irrigatione0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the 50B–50 C intercrop maintained higher yield stability and weed suppression under deficit irrigation.”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Buckwheat IWP peaked at 0.57 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹.
Verbatim
e0“IWP peaked at 0.57 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ for buckwheat”
Claim · model-written summary
The 50B–50 C intercrop IWP peaked at 0.46 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatat0
- Material
- 50B–50 C intercrope0
- Outcome
- IWPe0
- Value
- 0.46 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“IWP peaked at 0.57 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ for buckwheat and 0.46 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ for the 50B–50 C intercrop.”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Weed biomass declined sharply within four weeks of control.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatat0
- Treatment
- four weeks of controle0
- Outcome
- Weed biomasse0
- Direction
- declinede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Weed biomass declined sharply within four weeks of control”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Amaranthus retroflexus density was reduced by more than 50% in intercrops.
- Taxon
- Amaranthus retroflexus
Amaranthus retroflexuse0 - Treatment
- intercropse0
- Outcome
- Amaranthus retroflexus densitye0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- more than 50%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Amaranthus retroflexus density was reduced by more than 50% in intercrops.”
Claim · model-written summary
The 50B–50 C pattern had LER above 1 across irrigation levels.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatat0
- Material
- 50B–50 C patterne0
- Outcome
- land equivalent ratio (LER)e0
- Value
- > 1.0e0
- Qualifier
- across irrigation levelse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The 50B–50 C pattern consistently achieved land equivalent ratio (LER) > 1.0 across irrigation levels.”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
The neural network predicted vertical biomass distribution with R² 0.87–0.92.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatat0
- Outcome
- vertical biomass distributione0
- Value
- R² = 0.87–0.92e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Artificial neural network modeling (R² = 0.87–0.92) accurately predicted vertical biomass distribution”
t0“Cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommended 50B–50 C intercropping, 85% irrigation and at least six weeks of weed control.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatat0
- Treatment
- balanced intercropping (50B–50 C) combined with moderate deficit irrigation (85%) and at least six weeks of weed controle0
- Outcome
- optimized yield, water productivity, and weed suppressione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“balanced intercropping (50B–50 C) combined with moderate deficit irrigation (85%) and at least six weeks of weed control optimized yield, water productivity, and weed suppression in semi-arid conditions.”
t0“Cowpea”
The same questions in other papers
intercropping · yield · Vigna unguiculata (cowpea)Results differ
62 papers in the same direction as this paper · 33 in the opposite direction · 7 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- no effect
99 papers more in this group
See all 103 papers →intercropping · weed · Vigna unguiculata (cowpea)Results agree
7 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
4 papers more in this group
See all 8 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.