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Raza MA, Feng LY, van der Werf W, Iqbal N, Khalid MHB, Chen YK, Wasaya A, Ahmed S, Ud Din AM, Khan A, Ahmed S, Yang F, Yang W. Maize leaf-removal: A new agronomic approach to increase dry matter, flower number and seed-yield of soybean in maize soybean relay intercropping system. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13453. [PMID: 31530859 PMCID: PMC6748973 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49858-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Shading conditions adversely affect flower-number and pod-number of soybeans under maize-soybean relay-intercropping (MSR). Here we reveal that leaf-removal from maize-canopy improves the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) transmittance and dry-matter production (DMP) of soybean (especially during the co-growth phase), and compensates the maize seed-yield loss by considerably increasing soybean seed-yield. In a two-year experiment with MSR, maize-plants were subjected to different leaf-removal treatments to increase the PAR-transmittance of soybean; removal of the topmost two-leaves (R2), four-leaves (R4), six-leaves (R6), with no-removal of leaves (R0). Leaf-removal treatments improved the PAR-transmittance, photosynthetic-rate, and morphological-characteristics of soybean under MSR. At 90 days after sowing, the dry-matter of pods, and seeds was increased by 25%, and 32%, respectively under R6 than R0. Importantly, enhanced PAR-transmittance and DMP under R6 enabled soybean to initiate a greater number of flowers 182.2 plant-1 compared to 142.7 plant-1 under R0, and it also decreased the flower-abscission (by 13%, from 54.9% under R0 to 47.6% under R6). These positive responses increased the pod-number by 49% and seed-number by 28% under R6 than R0. Overall, under R6, relay-intercropped soybean produced 78% of sole-soybean seed-yield, and relay-intercropped maize produced 81% of sole-maize seed-yield and achieved the land equivalent ratio of 1.59.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ali Raza
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, P.R. China
| | - Ling Yang Feng
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, P.R. China
| | - Wopke van der Werf
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University, PO Box 430, 6700 AK, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nasir Iqbal
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, P.R. China
| | - Muhammad Hayder Bin Khalid
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, P.R. China
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, P.R. China
| | - Yuan Kai Chen
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, P.R. China
| | - Allah Wasaya
- College of Agriculture, Bahadur Sub Campus, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Layyah, 31200, Pakistan
| | - Shoaib Ahmed
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, P.R. China
| | - Atta Mohi Ud Din
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Yaan, 625014, P.R. China
| | - Ahsin Khan
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Yaan, 625014, P.R. China
| | - Saeed Ahmed
- College of Food Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Yaan, 625014, P.R. China
| | - Feng Yang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, P.R. China.
| | - Wenyu Yang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, P.R. China.
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