Root distribution and yield responses of wheat/maize intercropping to alternate irrigation in the arid areas of northwest China

• Published in: Plant, soil and environment Vol. 56; no. 6; pp. 253 - 262
• Main Authors: Yang, C.H.,Key Lab. of Arid Land Crop Science, Lanzhou (China), Chai, Q.,Key Lab. of Arid Land Crop Science, Lanzhou (China), Huang, G.B.,Key Lab. of Arid Land Crop Science, Lanzhou (China)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences 01.06.2010
• Subjects: ARID ZONES; BLE; BROTES; CHINA; CHINE; CONDUITE DE LA CULTURE; CRECIMIENTO; CROISSANCE; CROP MANAGEMENT; CROP YIELD; CULTIVO INTERCALADO; CULTURE INTERCALAIRE; EFFICACITE; EFFICIENCY; EFICACIA; ESPACEMENT; ESPACIAMIENTO; ETAPAS DE DESARROLLO DE LA PLANTA; EXPERIMENTACION EN CAMPO; EXPERIMENTATION AU CHAMP; FIELD EXPERIMENTATION; GROWTH; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_10176; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_12332; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_14261; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_1556; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_16065; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_16094; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_2491; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_3394; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_33990; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_3910; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_3954; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_5959; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_613; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_6651; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_7272; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_7951; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_8373; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_8504; INTERCROPPING; IRRIGATION; MAIS; MAIZ; MAIZE; MANEJO DEL CULTIVO; PLANT DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES; POUSSE; RACINE; RAICES; RENDEMENT DES CULTURES; RENDIMIENTO DE CULTIVOS; RIEGO; root growth; ROOTS; SHOOTS; SPACING; STADE DE DEVELOPPEMENT VEGETAL; TRIGO; TRITICUM AESTIVUM; USO DEL AGUA; UTILISATION DE L'EAU; WATER USE; WHEATS; ZEA MAYS; ZONA ARIDA; ZONE ARIDE
• ISSN: 1214-1178; 1805-9368
• DOI: 10.17221/251/2009-PSE

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of alternate irrigation (AI) on root distribution and yield of Triticum aestivum/Zea mays intercropping system during the period of 2007-2009 in an oasis of arid north-west China. Five treatments, i.e. sole wheat with conventional irrigation, sole maize with alternate irrigation, sole maize with conventional irrigation, wheat/maize intercropping with alternate irrigation (AW/M), and wheat/maize intercropping with conventional irrigation. The results showed that root growth was significantly enhanced by AI. Root weight density, root length density and root-shoot ratios in AI treatments were all higher than those in conventional irrigation treatments. Moreover, intercropped wheat and maize also had a greater root development at a majority of soil depths than wheat and maize in monoculture. In three years, AW/M always achieved the highest total seed yield under different treatments. Higher yield and reduced irrigation resulted in higher water use efficiency for the AW/M treatment. Our results suggest that AI should be a useful water-saving irrigation method on wheat/maize intercropping in arid oasis field where intercropping planting is decreased because of limited water resource.