Nitrogen acquisition, fixation and transfer in maize/alfalfa intercrops are increased through root contact and morphological responses to interspecies competition

• Published in: Journal of Integrative Agriculture Vol. 20; no. 8; pp. 2240 - 2254
• Main Authors: SHAO, Ze-qiang, ZHENG, Cong-cong, POSTMA, Johannes A., LU, Wen-long, GAO, Qiang, GAO, Ying-zhi, ZHANG, Jin-jing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.08.2021; College of Resource and Environment Engineering,Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology,Jilin 132022,P.R.China%Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH,Institute of Bio-and Geosciences-Plant Sciences(IBG-2),Jülich 52428,Germany%College of Resource and Environment Engineering,Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology,Jilin 132022,P.R.China%College of Resources and Environmental Sciences,Jilin Agricultural University/Key Laboratory of Sustainable Utilization of Soil Resources in the Commodity Grain Bases in Jilin Province,Changchun 130118,P.R.China%Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology,Northeast Normal University,Changchun 130024,P.R.China; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences,Jilin Agricultural University/Key Laboratory of Sustainable Utilization of Soil Resources in the Commodity Grain Bases in Jilin Province,Changchun 130118,P.R.China; KeAi Communications Co., Ltd
• Subjects: agriculture; alfalfa; biomass production; corn; greenhouse experimentation; lateral roots; leaves; maize/alfalfa intercropping; nitrogen; nitrogen fixation; nitrogen fixation and transfer; nitrogen utilization; nutrient use efficiency; nylon; root morphology; total nitrogen; nitrogen utilization; nitrogen fixation and transfer; maize/alfalfa intercropping; root morphology

Nitrogen (N) fixation by legumes and nitrogen transfer to cereals have been considered as important pathways for overyielding and higher N use efficiency in cereal/legume intercropping systems. However, the extent to which root morphology contributes to N fixation and transfer is unclear. A two-fact...