Dataset Information

Intercropping competition between apple trees and crops in agroforestry systems on the Loess Plateau of China.

ABSTRACT: Agroforestry has been widely practiced in the Loess Plateau region of China because of its prominent effects in reducing soil and water losses, improving land-use efficiency and increasing economic returns. However, the agroforestry practices may lead to competition between crops and trees for underground soil moisture and nutrients, and the trees on the canopy layer may also lead to shortage of light for crops. In order to minimize interspecific competition and maximize the benefits of tree-based intercropping systems, we studied photosynthesis, growth and yield of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) by measuring photosynthetically active radiation, net photosynthetic rate, soil moisture and soil nutrients in a plantation of apple (Malus pumila M.) at a spacing of 4 m × 5 m on the Loess Plateau of China. The results showed that for both intercropping systems in the study region, soil moisture was the primary factor affecting the crop yields followed by light. Deficiency of the soil nutrients also had a significant impact on crop yields. Compared with soybean, peanut was more suitable for intercropping with apple trees to obtain economic benefits in the region. We concluded that apple-soybean and apple-peanut intercropping systems can be practical and beneficial in the region. However, the distance between crops and tree rows should be adjusted to minimize interspecies competition. Agronomic measures such as regular canopy pruning, root barriers, additional irrigation and fertilization also should be applied in the intercropping systems.

SUBMITTER: Gao L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3723670 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Intercropping competition between apple trees and crops in agroforestry systems on the Loess Plateau of China.

Gao Lubo L Xu Huasen H Bi Huaxing H Xi Weimin W Bao Biao B Wang Xiaoyan X Bi Chao C Chang Yifang Y

PloS one 20130725 7

Agroforestry has been widely practiced in the Loess Plateau region of China because of its prominent effects in reducing soil and water losses, improving land-use efficiency and increasing economic returns. However, the agroforestry practices may lead to competition between crops and trees for underground soil moisture and nutrients, and the trees on the canopy layer may also lead to shortage of light for crops. In order to minimize interspecific competition and maximize the benefits of tree-bas ...[more]

PMID: 23936246

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Project description:Biochar application can enhance soil health and alter soil bacterial community structure. However, knowledge relating to biochar on soil nutrients of mountainous apple orchards and then assessing its effect on soil health, especially on soil microorganisms, is still scanty. Therefore, we evaluated the responses of six biochar treatments [Ck (0), T1 (2), T2 (4), T3 (6), T4 (8), and T5 (10) Mg hm-2] with a basal dose of chemical fertilizer on the soil nutrients under potted apple trees across 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, and then investigated the responses of the rhizobacterial communities. Experimental findings demonstrated that: (i) Across the months, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) compared to the control significantly enhanced soil nutrients, including soil pH (2.12 to 2.29%), soil organic matter (35 to 40%), total nitrogen (59 to 65%), ammonium nitrogen (25 to 33%), nitrate nitrogen (163 to 169%), and the activities of urease (76 to 81%), alkaline phosphatase (30 to 33%), catalase (8.89 to 11.70%), and sucrase (23 to 29%). (ii) Compared to the control, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) had a more desirable relative abundance of the bacterial phylum Proteobacteria (35.47%), followed by Actinobacteria (8.59%), Firmicutes (5.74%), and Bacteroidota (2.77%). Similarly, the relative abundance of the bacterial genera in the T5 was Sphingomonas (8.23%) followed by RB41 (3.81%), Ellin6055 (3.42%), Lachnospiracea (1.61%), Bacillus (1.43%), Kineosporia (1.37%), Massilia (0.84%), and Odoribacter (0.34%) than the control. (iii) Among the alpha diversity, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) revealed the highest Chao1 (20%) and ACE (19.23%) indexes, while Shannon (1.63%) and Simpson (1.02%) had relatively lower indexes than the control. Furthermore, positive correlations were found between the soil nutrients and some of the abundant bacterial phyla. Overall, the findings of this research demonstrated that biochar application at 10 Mg hm-2 (T5) along with the required chemical fertilizer is beneficial to improve soil health and pave the way for sustainable production in apple orchards of the northern loess plateau.

Project description:BackgroundInclusion of forage into the orchard is of great help in promoting the use efficiency of resources, while shading from trees restricts forage growth and production in the Loess Plateau of China. This study was aimed to investigate how tree shading affected leaf trait, photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll feature of forages under the tree in the orchard-forage system.MethodsThe shading treatments were set as partially cutting branches (reduced shading), normal fruit tree shading (normal shading) and normal tree shading plus sun-shading net (enhanced shading) in an apple orchard. Leaf trait, photosynthesis, chlorophyll component and fluorescence related parameters were measured with lucerne (Medicago sativa), white clover (Trifolium repens) and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) which were sown under apple trees.ResultsShading imposed significant impacts on the growth and leaf photosynthetic characteristics, while there were differences among species. Enhanced shading decreased leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and leaf mass per unit area (LMA). Biomass accumulation decreased with enhanced shading in cocksfoot, but did not change in white clover and lucerne which had much lower biomass accumulation than cocksfoot. Enhanced shading reduced net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of white clover and lucerne, but rarely affected cocksfoot, while it decreased instantaneous water use efficiency (WUEi) of cocksfoot but had few effects on the other forages. Enhanced shading reduced leaf dark respiration rate (Rd), light compensation point (LCP) and maximum assimilation rate. The Rd and LCP of cocksfoot were much lower than those of white clover and lucerne. Chlorophyll contents and chlorophyll a/b changed little with shading. Cocksfoot had the highest contents but lowest ratio. Maximum photochemical rate of photosystem II increased and non-photochemical quenching decreased with enhanced shading in cocksfoot, while did not change in the other forages.DiscussionLeaf trait, photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll feature were variously affected by species, shading and their interaction. Cocksfoot was more efficient than the other two forages in use of weakened light and more tolerant to tree shading. In the apple orchard, we recommend that reducing the density of apple tree or partially cutting branches together with selecting some shading-tolerant forages, i.e., cocksfoot, would be a practical option for the orchard-forage system in the Loess Plateau of China.

Dataset Information

Intercropping competition between apple trees and crops in agroforestry systems on the Loess Plateau of China.

Publications

Intercropping competition between apple trees and crops in agroforestry systems on the Loess Plateau of China.

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