COMPETITIVE INTERACTION BETWEEN MIXED-PLANTING MAIZE CULTIVARS ENHANCED YIELD AND WATER-USE EFFICIENCY IN A SEMI-ARID REGION

Year 2018, Volume: 23 Issue: 1, 1 - 11, 15.06.2018

Xiaolin Wang Yuanyuan Ren Yinglong Chen Suiqi Zhang

https://doi.org/10.17557/tjfc.413808

Abstract

Effects of competitive interaction between two mixed planting maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars on yield and

water use efficiency are inevitable and the positive process needs more excavation. Two maize cultivars were

mixed planting in two densities to explicit the potential of competitive interaction improving yield and water

use efficiency in a semi-arid region over two growing seasons. During grain filling stage firstly, competitive

interaction optimized stem to leaf ratio of two maize cultivars, and decreased root to shoot ratio at harvest

under the same-high mixed planting density, great competitive intensity caused by high planting density

suppressed vegetative growth of maize. Secondly, land equivalent ratio positively increased from 1.02 to 1.14,

which signified the advantage of farming land use. Furthermore, positive values of total actual yield loss in the

four mixed systems indicated a yield advantage. Over two years, mean yield and water use efficiency increased

by 6.5 % and 11.7 % which resulted from the positive performance of two maize cultivars in the mixed

systems. Thus, consequences of competitive interaction in the mixed planting systems performed as land use,

maize yield and water use efficiency advantages in the dry land farming.

Keywords

Maize cultivars mixture, competitive parameter, yield and water use efficiency advantage

References

• Acciaresi, H.A and J.J. Guiamet. 2010. Below- and above-ground growth and biomass allocation in maize and Sorghum halepense in response to soil water competition. Weed Res. 50: 481-492.
• Adiku, S.G.K., H. Ozier-Lafontaine and T. Bajazet. 2001. Patterns of root growth and water uptake of a maize-cowpea mixture grown under greenhouse conditions. Plant Soil 235: 85-94.
• Agegnehu, G., A. Ghizaw and W. Sinebo. 2006. Yield performance and land-use efficiency of barley and faba bean mixed cropping in Ethiopian highlands. Eur J Agron. 25: 202-207.
• Awal, M., H. Koshi and T. Ikeda. 2006. Radiation interception and use by maize/peanut intercrop canopy. Agri Forest Meteorol. 139: 74-83.
• Awal, M., M. Pramanik and M. Hossen. 2007. Interspecies competition, growth and yield in barley-peanut intercropping. Asia J Plant Sci. 6: 577-584.
• Blackman, P. and W. Davies. 1985. Root to shoot communication in maize plants of the effects of soil drying. J Exp Bot. 36. 39-48.
• Braconnier, S. 1998. Maize-coconut intercropping: effects of shade and root competition on maize growth and yield. Agrono. 18. 373-382.
• Burton, P. 1993. Some limitations inherent to static indexes of plant competition. Cana J Forest Res. 23: 2141-2152.
• Caballero, R., A. Bustos and R. Roman. 2001. Soil salinity under traditional and improved irrigation schedules in central Spain. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 65. 1210-1218.
• Dahmardeh, M. 2011. Effect of plant density and nitrogen rate on PAR absorption and maize yield. Amer. J. of Plant Phy. 6. 44-49.
• Dahmardeh, M. 2013. Intercropping two varieties of maize (Zea mays L.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.): Biomass yield and intercropping advantages. Int. J. Agri. Forest. 3: 7-11.
• Dubrovsky, J.G and B.G. Forde. 2012. Quantitative analysis of lateral root development: Pitfalls and how to avoid them. Plant Cell. 24: 4-14.
• Fang, Y., B.C. Xu, L. Liu, Y.J. Gu, Q.Q. Liu, N.C. Turner and F.M. Li. 2014. Does a mixture of old and modern winter wheat cultivars increase yield and water use efficiency in water-limited environments? Field Crop Res. 156: 12-21.
• Fan, Z., Q. Chai, G. Huang, A. Yu, P. Huang, C. Yang, Z. Tao and H. Liu. 2013. Yield and water consumption characteristics of wheat/maize intercropping with reduced tillage in an Oasis region. Eur. J. Agrono. 45. 52-58.
• Gong, Z.T., G.L. Zhang and Z.C. Chen. 2007. Pedogenesis and soil taxonomy. Beijing Sci. Press Publ., Beijing. (In Chinese) Hauggaard-Nielsen, H., M.K. Anderson, B. Joernsgaard and E.S. Jensen. 2006. Density and relative frequency effects on competitive interactions and resource use in pea-barley intercrops. Field Crop Rse. 95: 256-267.
• Ionenko, I.F., N.R. Dautova and A.V. Anisimov. 2012. Early changes of water diffusional transfer in maize roots under the influence of water stress. Env. Exp. Bot. 76: 16-23.
• Jaggi, S., D.P. Handa, A.S. G ill and N.P. Singh. 2004. Land-equivalent ratio for assessing yield advantages from agroforestry experiment. Ind. J Agri. Sci. 74. 76-79.
• Li, P.F., B.L. Ma, W.K.Yan, Z.G. Cheng, F.M. Li and Y.C. Xiong. 2015. Plant architecture, plasticity, and adaption strategies of two oat genotypes under different competition interstities. J. Sci. Food Agri. 96: 1431-1439.
• Li, L., J. Sun, F.S. Zhang, T. Guo, X. Bao, F.A. Smith and S.E. Smith. 2006. Root distribution and interactions between intercropped species. Oecologia 147: 280-290.
• Li, L., J.H. Sun and F.S. Zhang. 2011. Intercropping with wheat leads to greater root weight density and larger below-ground space of irrigated maize at late growth stages. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. 57: 61-67.
• Lithourgidis, A.S., C.A. Dordas, C.A. Damalas and D.N. Vlachostergios. 2011a. Annual intercrops: An alternative pathway for sustainable agriculture. Aust. J. Crop Sci. 5: 396-410.
• Lithourgidis, A.S., D.N. Vlachostergios, C.A. Dordas and C.A. Damalas. 2011b. Dry matter yield, nitrogen content, and competition in pea-cereal intercropping systems. Eur. J. Agrono. 34: 287-294.
• Mead, R and R.Willey. 1980. The concept of a ‘land equivalent ratio’and advantages in yields from intercropping. Expe Agri. 16: 217-228.
• Morris, R and D.P. Garrity. 1993. Resource capture and utilization in intercropping: water. Field Crop Res. 34: 303-317.
• Mushagalusa, G.N., J.F. Ledent and X. Draye. 2008. Shoot and root competition in potato/maize intercropping: Effects on growth and yield. Env. Exp. Bot. 64: 180-188.
• Nassab, A.D.M., T. Amon and H.P. Kaul. 2011. Competition and yield in intercrops of maize and sunflower for biogas. Indu Crop Prod. 34: 1203-1211.
• Neykova, N., J. Obando, R. Schneider, C. Shisanya, S. Thiele-Bruhn and F.M. Thomas. 2011. Vertical root distribution in single-crop and intercropping agricultural systems in Central Kenya. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 174: 742-749.
• Page, E.R., M. Tollenaar, E.A. Lee, L. Lukens and C.J. Swanton. 2010. Timing, effect, and recovery from intraspecific competition in maize. Agrono. J. 102: 1007-1013.
• Peng, Y., P. Yu, Y. Zhang, G. Sun., P. Ning, X . Li and C .Li. 2012. Temporal and spatial dynamics in root length density of field-grown maize and NPK in the soil profile. Field CropRes. 131: 9-16.
• Polthanee, A and A. Kotchasatit. 1999. Growth, yield and nutrient content of cassava and mungbean grown under intercropping. Pak. J. Bio. Sci. 2: 871-879.
• Prince, S., J .Haskett, M. Steininger, H. Strand and R. Wright. 2001. Net primary production of US Midwest croplands from agricultural harvest yield data. Ecol. App.11: 1194– 1205
• Ren, Y.Y., J.J. Liu, Z.L. Wang and S.Q. Zhang. 2016. Planting density and sowing proportions of maize-soybean intercrops affected competitive interactions and water-use efficiencies on the Loess Plateau, China. Eur. J. Agrono. 72: 70-79.
• Rossini, M.A., G.A. Maddonni and M.E. Otegui. 2011. Inter-plant competition for resources in maize crops grown under contrasting nitrogen supply and density: Variability in plant and ear growth. Field Crop Res. 121: 373-380.
• Rossini, M.A., G.A. Maddonni and M.E. Otegui. 2012. Inter-plant variability in maize crops grown under contrasting N x stand density combinations: Links between development, growth and kernel set. Field Crop Res. 133: 90-100.
• Schenk, H.J. 2006. Root competition: Beyond resource depletion. J. Ecol. 94: 725-739.
• Seran, T.H. and I. Brintha. 2010. Review on maize based intercropping. J. Agrono. 9: 135-145.
• Temesgen, A., S. Fukai and R. Daniel. 2015. as the level of crop productivity increases: is there a role for intercropping in smallholder agriculture. Field Crop Res. 180: 155-166.
• Thorsted, M.D., J. Weiner and J.E. Olesen. 2006. Above- and below-ground competition between intercropped winter wheat Triticum aestivum and white clover Trifolium repens. J. App. Ecol. 43: 237-245.
• Van Ossterom, E.J., G.J. O'leary, P.S. Carberry and P.Q. Craufurd. 2002. Simulating growth, development and yield of tillering pearl millet. III. Biomass accumulation and partitioning. Field Crop Res. 79: 85-106.
• Weigelt, A. and P. Jolliffe. 2003. Indices of plant competition. J. Ecol. 91: 707-720.
• Westgate, M. and J. Boyer. 1985. Osmotic adjustment and the inhibition of leaf, root, stem and silk growth at low water potentials in maize. Planta 164: 540-549.
• Williams. M. and R.Boydston. 2013. Intraspecific and interspecific competition in sweet corn. Agrono. J. 105: 503-508.
• Wilson, J.B. 1988a. A review of evidence on the control of shoot: root ratio, in relation to models. Ann. Bot. 61: 433-449.
• Wilson. J.B. 1988b. Shoot competition and root competition. J. App. Ecol. 25: 279-296.
• Xia, H.Y., J.H. Zhao, J.H. Sun, X.G. Bao, P. Christie, F.S. Zhang and L. Li. 2013. Dynamics of root length and distribution and shoot biomass of maize as affected by intercropping with different companion crops and phosphorus application rates. Field Crop Res. 150: 52-62.
• Yang, C.H., G.B. Huang, Q. Chai and Z.X. Luo. 2011. Water use and yield of wheat/maize intercropping under alternate irrigation in the oasis field of northwest China. Field Crop Res. 124: 426-432.
• Yang, W., Z. Li, J. Wang, P. Wu and Y. Zhang. 2013. Crop yield, nitrogen acquisition and sugarcane quality as affected by interspecific competition and nitrogen application. Field Crop Res. 146: 44-50.
• Zhang, F.S. and L. Li. 2003. Using competitive and facilitative interactions in intercropping systems enhances crop productivity and nutrient-use efficiency. Plant Soil 248: 305-312.
• Zhang, G., Z. Yang and S. Dong. 2011. Interspecific competitiveness affects the total biomass yield in an alfalfa and corn intercropping system. Field Crop Res. 124: 66-73.
• Zhang, W.P., X. Jia, E.C. Morris, Y.Y. Bai and G.X. Wang. 2012. Stem, branch and leaf biomass-density relationships in forest communities. Ecol. Res. 27: 819-825.