Study on transpiration and transpiration efficiency of intercropped maize and potato population
View Fulltext  View/Add Comment  Download reader
  
DOI:10.7606/j.issn.1000-7601.2016.05.20
Key Words: intercropping  transpiration  transpiration efficiency  Maize  Potato
Author NameAffiliation
FAN Zhi-wei College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China 
WU Kai-xian College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China 
AN Tong-xin College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China 
YANG Yuan-man College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China 
ZHOU Feng College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China 
WU Bo-zhi College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China 
Hits: 1781
Download times: 1230
Abstract:
      It has been suggested that the over-yielding of intercropping is highly correlated to its efficient use of water resource. However, the efficiently water usage of intercropping has not been comprehensively studied from the aspect of transpiration (the major form of crop water usage). In this study, using intercropped maize (Zea mays L.) and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) as the study object, we combined the field and pot experiments to observe the soil evaporation, soil moisture content and crop transpiration. We also analyzed the competitive ability of intercropped crops and the yield advantage of intercropping, and investigated the water usage feature and mechanism in intercropping. The field experiment result showed that the transpiration difference between maize and potato during the same period could lead to the soil moisture content difference. In addition, the transpiration in intercropping of 4 424.07 t·hm-2 was significantly higher than the weighted average of that in sole maize and sole potato of 3 612.27 t·hm-2 (P<0.01). Futhermore, the land equivalent ratio (LER) of intercropping was>1, indicating that the intercropping had the yield advantage. The pot experiment result showed that the transpiration of maize and potato was different during the same period. Namely, the transpiration of maize was smaller than that of potato before the tuber initiation stage of potato and seedling stage of maize (P<0.05), and higher than that of potato after that period (P<0.05). Additionally, the transpiration in intercropping of 51.79 kg·pot-1 was significantly higher than the weighted average of that in sole maize and sole potato of 48.36 kg·pot-1 (P=0.011). Moreover, the relative competitive ability (RC) between the intercropped crops was>1, indicating that maize had water competitive advantage. Also, the transpiration efficiency of maize (5.38 g·kg-1) was significantly higher than that of potato (3.68 g·kg-1) (P<0.001). The transpiration efficiency in intercropping of 4.82 g·kg-1 was significantly higher than the weighted average of that in sole maize and sole potato of 3.68 g·kg-1 (P<0.001). The land equivalent ratio (LER) of intercropping was>1, indicating that the intercropping had the yield advantage. Overall, our results suggested that the transpiration of maize is different from that of potato during the same period. Thereby the intercropping can improve the crop transpiration. Maize has the higher transpiration efficiency than potato, and maize has the water competitive advantage in intercropping, allowing improvement of the crop transpiration efficiency. The improvement of both crop transpiration and transpiration efficiency in intercropping is an important reason for over-yielding in intercropping.