The intercropping cowpea-maize improves soil phosphorus availability and maize yields in an alkaline soil

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 385; no. 1/2; pp. 181 - 191
• Main Authors: Latati, M., Blavet, D., Alkama, N., Laoufi, H., Drevon, J. J., Gérard, F., Pansu, M., Ounane, S. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer 01.12.2014; Springer International Publishing; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Acid soils; Agricultural research; Agricultural soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cereals; Corn; Cowpea; Crop rotation; Crop science; Cropping systems; Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage; Crops; Ecology; Fallowing; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Cropping systems and patterns; Intercropping; Intercrops; Legumes; Life Sciences; Nodules; Phosphorus content; Physiological aspects; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plant-soil relationships; Plants; Regular Article; Rhizosphere; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Soils; Vigna unguiculata; Zea mays; fixation; P availability; Biological N; Rhizosphere acidification; Intercropping; Monocotyledones; Available nutrient; Vigna unguiculata; Acidification; C4-Type; Inorganic element; Cereal crop; Gramineae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Nitrogen fixation; Diazotrophy; Vegetals; Zea mays; Cropping system; Cowpea; Phosphorus; Grain legume; Rhizosphere; Alkaline soil; Biological fixation; Leguminosae; Spermatophyta; Yield; Soil plant relation; Biological N2-fixation
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-014-2214-6

Aim This study assessed whether growing cowpea can increase phosphorus (P) availability in the rhizosphere and improve the yield of legume-cereal systems. In alkaline Mediterranean soils with P deficiency, it is assumed that legumes increase inorganic P availability. Methods A field experiment was conducted at the Staoueli experimental station, in Algiers province, Algeria, to compare the growth, grain yield, P availability, and P uptake by plants with sole-cropped cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. cv. Moh Ouali) and maize (Zea mays L. cv. ILT), intercropped cowpea-maize, and fallow. Results P availability in the rhizosphere was increased in both sole cropping and intercropping systems compared with fallow. It was highest in intercropping. The increase in P availability was associated with (i) significant pH changes of the rhizosphere of cowpea in sole cropping and intercropping systems, with the rhizosphere acidification significantly higher in intercropping (−0.73 units) than in sole cropping (−0.42 units); (ii) significant increase in the rhizosphere pH of intercropped maize (+0.49 units) compared to fallow; (iii) increased soil respiration (C-CO2 from microbial and root activity) in intercropping compared with sole cropping and fallow; and (iv) higher efficiency in utilization of the rhizobial symbiosis in intercropping than in sole-cropped cowpea. Conclusion With cowpea-maize intercropping, cowpea increased the P uptake, by increasing the P availability by rhizosphere pH changes in an alkaline soil. Overall, this study showed that intercropping cowpea improved the plant biomass and grain yield of maize in this soil.