Abstract Strip intercropping enables increases in yields and ecological services in agriculture. Crop yields of species grown in strip intercropping are often related to the yield responses (increases or decreases) in the outer rows of the strips: the border rows. This suggests that the yield response can be modulated by changing the proportion of border rows in the field. Here we studied the relationship between component species yields and proportion of border rows in strip intercrops of maize (Zea mays L.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea Linn.). We tested four different intercrops with equal proportions of maize and peanut but a different number of rows per strip: M2P2 (2 rows maize intercropped with 2 rows peanut), M4P4, M6P6, M8P8, and sole maize (SM) and sole peanut (SP). The border-row proportions were 1, 0.5, 0.33 and 0.25 for the intercropping M2P2 to M8P8, respectively, and 0 for the pure stands. Yield responded positively to the proportion of border rows for maize, but negatively for peanut, confirming the dominance of maize in this system. Kernel number per ear of maize and pod number per plant of peanut were the main yield components that responded to the border-row proportion. Across three years, relative maize yield (yield in intercropping divided by yield in monoculture), varied from 0.76 in M2P2 to 0.56 in M8P8, while relative peanut yield varied from 0.19 in M2P2 to 0.39 in M8P8. Relative yield total was not significantly different from one in any of the mixtures. Yield of intercropped maize in border rows was 48% higher than in inner rows and the sole crop, in part due to a significantly higher kernel number per ear (13%). Yield of intercropped peanut in border rows was on average 29% lower than in inner rows and 48% lower than in sole peanut. Yield responses in border rows were independent from the border-row proportion. The results show that relative crop yields responded strongly to variation in border-row proportion resulting from variation in strip width from 1 to 4 m. Strip width thus provides a mechanism to control the strength of interspecific plant interactions and relative yields in strip intercropping.

中文翻译：

---

边界行比例决定了玉米/花生条带间作中种间相互作用的强度和作物产量

摘要 条带间作能够提高农业产量和生态服务。在条带间作中种植的物种的作物产量通常与条带外行：边界行的产量响应（增加或减少）有关。这表明可以通过改变田间边界行的比例来调节产量响应。在这里，我们研究了玉米 (Zea mays L.) 和花生 (Arachis hypogaea Linn.) 带状间作中组成物种产量与边缘行比例之间的关系。我们测试了四种不同的玉米和花生比例相同但每条带行数不同的间作：M2P2（2 行玉米与 2 行花生间作）、M4P4、M6P6、M8P8 和单玉米 (SM) 和单花生 (SP) ）。边界行比例分别为 1、0.5、0.33 和 0。间作 M2P2 至 M8P8 分别为 25，纯林分为 0。产量对玉米的边行比例有积极的反应，但对花生的影响是消极的，证实了玉米在该系统中的主导地位。玉米单穗粒数和花生单株荚数是响应边行比例的主要产量成分。三年中，相对玉米产量（间作产量除以单作产量）从 M2P2 的 0.76 到 M8P8 的 0.56，而相对花生产量从 M2P2 的 0.19 到 M8P8 的 0.39 不等。相对总产率与任何混合物中的总产率没有显着差异。边界行间作玉米的产量比内行和单一作物高 48%，部分原因是每穗玉米粒数明显更高 (13%)。边缘行间作花生的产量平均比内行低 29%，比单行花生低 48%。边界行中的产量响应独立于边界行比例。结果表明，相对作物产量对由 1 到 4 m 的条带宽度变化引起的边界行比例变化有强烈反应。因此，条带宽度提供了一种机制来控制条带间作中种间植物相互作用的强度和相对产量。