Plant Soil Environ., 2018, 64(3):138-146 | DOI: 10.17221/9/2018-PSE

The effect of intercropping on the efficiency of faba bean - rhizobial symbiosis and durum wheat soil-nitrogen acquisition in a Mediterranean agroecosystemOriginal Paper

Ghiles KACI*,1, Didier BLAVET2, Samia BENLAHRECH1, Ernest KOUAKOUA2, Petra COUDERC3, Philippe DELEPORTE4, Dominique DESCLAUX5, Mourad LATATI1, Marc PANSU2, Jean-Jacques DREVON6, Sidi Mohamed OUNANE1
1 High National School of Agronomy, Plant Production Department, Laboratory for Integrative Improvement of Plant Productions, El Harrach, Algiers, Algeria
2 Research Institute for Development-IRD, UMR Eco&Sols, Functional Ecology and Biogeochemistry of Soils and Agro-Ecosystems, INRA-IRD-CIRAD-SupAgro, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
3 Interdisciplinary Research Center in Letters, Languages, Arts and Humanities Sciences, UFR Lettres and Humanities Sciences, Antilles
4 Center for International Cooperation in Agronomic Research for Development-CIRAD,UMR Eco&Sols, Functional Ecology and Biogeochemistry of Soils and Agro-Ecosystems, INRA-IRD-CIRAD-SupAgro, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
5 National Institue of Agronomic Research-INRA, UE Diascope, Montpellier, France
6 National Institute of Agronomic Research-INRA, UMR Eco&Sols, Functional Ecology and Biogeochemistry of Soils and Agro-Ecosystems, INRA-IRD-CIRAD-SupAgro, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France

The aim of this study was to compare the rhizobial symbiosis and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) accumulations in soil and plants in intercropping versus sole cropping in biennial rotation of a cereal - durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), and a N2-fixing legume - faba bean (Vicia faba L.) over a three-year period at the INRA (National Institue of Agronomic Research) experimental station in the Mauguio district, south-east of Montpellier, France. Plant growth, nodulation and efficiency in the use of rhizobial symbiosis (EURS) for the legume, nitrogen nutrition index (NNI) for the cereal, and N and C accumulation in the soil were evaluated. Shoot dry weight (SDW) and NNI were significantly higher for intercropped than for the sole cropped wheat whereas there was no significant difference on SDW between the intercropped and sole cropped faba beans. EURS was higher in intercropped than in sole cropped faba bean. Furthermore, by comparison with a weeded fallow, there was a significant increase in soil C and N content over the three-year period of intercropping and sole cropping within the biennial rotation. It is concluded that intercropping increases the N nutrition of wheat by increasing the availability of soil-N for wheat. This increase may be due to a lower interspecific competition between legume and wheat than intra-specific competition between wheat plants, thanks to the compensation that the legume can achieve by fixing the atmospheric nitrogen.

Keywords: carbon storage; grain yield and quality production; legumes; macronutrients; N2 fixation; plant-soil system

Published: March 31, 2018  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
KACI G, BLAVET D, BENLAHRECH S, KOUAKOUA E, COUDERC P, DELEPORTE P, et al.. The effect of intercropping on the efficiency of faba bean - rhizobial symbiosis and durum wheat soil-nitrogen acquisition in a Mediterranean agroecosystem. Plant Soil Environ.. 2018;64(3):138-146. doi: 10.17221/9/2018-PSE.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Barthes B., Azontonde A., Blanchart E., Girardin C., Villenave C., Oliver R., Feller C. (2006): Effect of a legume cover crop on carbon storage and erosion in an ultisol under maize cultivation in southern Benin. In: Roose E.J.,‎ Rattan L., Feller C., Barthes B., Stewart B.A. (eds.): Soil Erosion and Carbon Dynamics. Boca Raton, CRC Press, 143-155. Go to original source...
    2. Betencourt E., Duputel M., Colomb B., Desclaux D., Hinsinger P. (2012): Intercropping promotes the ability of durum wheat and chickpea to increase rhizosphere phosphorus availability in a low P soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 46: 181-190. Go to original source...
    3. Bedoussac L., Justes E. (2010): The efficiency of a durum wheatwinter pea intercrop to improve yield and wheat grain protein concentration depends on N availability during early growth. Plant and Soil, 330: 19-35. Go to original source...
    4. Callaway R.M. (2007): Positive Interactions and Interdependence in Plant Communities. Amsterdam, Dordrecht, Springer.
    5. Chapagain T., Riseman A. (2014): Barley-pea intercropping: Effects on land productivity, carbon and nitrogen transformations. Field Crops Research, 166: 18-25. Go to original source...
    6. Cong W.F., Hoffland E., Li L., Six J., Sun J.H., Bao X.G., Zhang F.S., Van Der Werf W. (2015): Intercropping enhances soil carbon and nitrogen. Global Change Biology, 21: 1715-1726. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    7. Dahmardeh M., Ghanbari A., Syahsar B.A., Ramrodi M. (2010): The role of intercropping maize (Zea mays L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) on yield and soil chemical properties. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 5: 631-636.
    8. Drevon J.-J., Alkama N., Araujo A., Beebe S., Blair M.W., Hamza H., Jaillard B., Lopez A., Martinez-Romero E., Rodino P., Tajini F., Zaman-Allah M. (2011): Nodular diagnosis for ecological engineering of the symbiotic nitrogen fixation with legumes. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 9: 40-46. Go to original source...
    9. Dyer L., Oelbermann M., Echarte L. (2012): Soil carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions during the growing season from temperate maize-soybean intercrops. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 175: 394-400. Go to original source...
    10. Grigg D.B. (1974): The early history of agriculture. In: Grigg D.B. (ed): The Agricultural Systems of the World: An Evolutionary Approach. New York, Cambridge University Press, 9-23. Go to original source...
    11. Hauggaard-Nielsen H., Jørnsgaard B., Kinane J., Jensen E.S. (2008): Grain legume-cereal intercropping: The practical application of diversity, competition and facilitation in arable and organic cropping systems. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 23: 3-12. Go to original source...
    12. Huňady I., Hochman M. (2014): Potential of legume-cereal intercropping for increasing yields and yield stability for selfsufficiency with animal fodder in organic farming. Czech Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding, 50: 185-194. Go to original source...
    13. IPCC (2007): Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. 2007. In: Pachauri R.K., Reisinger A. (eds.): Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Geneva, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
    14. Jarecki M.K., Lal R. (2003): Crop management for soil carbon sequestration. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences, 22: 471-502. Go to original source...
    15. Latati M., Blavet D., Alkama N., Laoufi H., Drevon J.J., Gérard F., Pansu M., Ounane S.M. (2014): The intercropping cowpeamaize improves soil phosphorus availability and maize yields in an alkaline soil. Plant and Soil, 385: 181-191. Go to original source...
    16. Latati M., Bargaz A., Belarbi B., Lazali M., Benlahrech S., Tellah S., Kaci G., Drevon J.J., Ounane S.M. (2016a): The intercropping common bean with maize improves the rhizobial efficiency, resource use and grain yield under low phosphorus availability. European Journal of Agronomy, 72: 80-90. Go to original source...
    17. Lemaire G., Jeuffroy M.-H., Gastal F. (2008): Diagnosis tool for plant and crop N status in vegetative stage. Theory and practices for crop N management. European Journal of Agronomy, 28: 614-624. Go to original source...
    18. Li B., Li Y.Y., Wu H.M., Zhang F.F., Li C.J., Li X.X., Lambers H., Li L. (2016): Root exudates drive interspecific facilitation by enhancing nodulation and N 2 fixation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113: 6496-6501. Go to original source...
    19. Li L., Sun J.H., Zhang F.S., Li X.L., Yang S.C., Rengel Z. (2001): Wheat/maize or wheat/soybean strip intercropping: I. Yield advantage and interspecific interactions on nutrients. Field Crops Research, 71: 123-137. Go to original source...
    20. Li W.X., Li L., Sun J.H., Guo T.W., Zhang F.S., Bao X.G., Peng A., Tang C. (2005): Effects of intercropping and nitrogen an application on nitrate present in the profile of an Orthic Anthrosol in Northwest China. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 105: 483-491. Go to original source...
    21. Liebman M., Dyck E. (1993): Crop rotation and intercropping strategies for weed management. Ecological Applications, 3: 92-122. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    22. Mohamed Osman Ali E.A.A., Awadelkareem A.M., Gasim S., El Amir Yousif N. (2014): Nutritional composition and antinutrients of two faba bean (Vicia faba L.) lines. International Journal of Advanced Research, 12: 538-544.
    23. Ohyama T. (2017): The role of legume-rhizobium symbiosis in sustainable agriculture. In: Sulieman S., Phan Tran L.S. (eds.): Legume Nitrogen Fixation in Soils with Low Phosphorus Availability. Cham, Springer, 1-20. Go to original source...
    24. Pansu M., Gautheyrou J., Loyer J.Y. (2001): Soil Analysis: Sampling, Instrumentation and Quality Control. Lisse, A.A. Balkema.
    25. R Core Team (2016): R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. Vienna, R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Available at: https://www.R-project.org/
    26. Rharrabti Y., Villegas D., Garcia del Moral L.F., Aparicio N., Elhani S., Royo C. (2001): Environmental and genetic determination of protein content and grain yield in durum wheat under Mediterranean conditions. Plant Breeding, 120: 381-388. Go to original source...
    27. Scalise A., Tortorella D., Pristeri A., Petrovičová B., Gelsomino A., Lindström K., Monti M. (2015): Legume-barley intercropping stimulates soil N supply and crop yield in the succeeding durum wheat in a rotation under rained conditions. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 89: 150-161. Go to original source...
    28. Tang X.Y., Bernard L., Brauman A., Daufresne T., Deleporte P., Desclaux D., Souche G., Placella S.A., Hinsinger P. (2014): Increase in microbial biomass and phosphorus availability in the rhizosphere of intercropped cereal and legumes under field conditions. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 75: 86-93. Go to original source...
    29. Vandermeer J. (1989): The Ecology of Intercropping. New York, Cambridge University Press. Go to original source...
    30. Zhang F.S., Li L. (2003): Using competitive and facilitative interactions in intercropping systems enhances crop productivity and nutrient-use efficiency. Plant and Soil, 248: 305-312. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content