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Interactions between intercropped Avena sativa and Agropyron cristatum for nitrogen uptake

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Abstract

Aims

The effect of cropping regime on nitrogen (N) uptake in two coexisting plant grass species (Avena sativa and Agropyron cristatum) was investigated.

Methods

The two grass species were cultivated by monocropping or intercropping. 15N-labeling was used to examine N uptake of NH4+ versus NO3− at 0–5 cm and 5–15 cm soil depths.

Results

The aboveground and total biomass of intercropped A. sativa was 1.3 times greater than monocropped A. sativa. The biomass of A. cristatum did not change between cropping systems. In the 0–5 cm soil layer, uptake of NO3− by A. sativa was 0.5 times less in the intercropped system than in the monocropped system, whereas uptake of NO3− by A. cristatum was 2.0 times more in the intercropped system. In the 5–15 cm depth, intercropping did not change N uptake by A. sativa but decreased NO3− uptake to 0.6 times by A. cristatum.

Conclusions

Complementarity in N uptake between A. sativa and A. cristatum in the upper 0–5 cm soil layer is conducive to biomass accumulation. Intercropped A. sativa and A. cristatum does not compete strongly for soil resources and can alter their N uptake patterns to optimize biomass production.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41601318, 31470560, and 41877089), and the general financial grant from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2016 M600123). We thank Prof. Xingliang Xu for his suggestions to improve this manuscript. We also thank the Huailai Research Station for their support. We thank Editage [www.editage.cn] for English language editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China

    Min Liu, Minghua Song, Na Qiao & Yanjie Liu

  2. College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yanqi Lake, Huairou District, Beijing, 101408, China

    Min Liu, Huimin Li & Haishan Niu

  3. Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Huimin Li

  4. Tiantong National Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China

    Jingjing Song

  5. State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Yuqiang Tian

  6. Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China

    Yanjie Liu

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  1. Min Liu
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Correspondence to Na Qiao or Yuqiang Tian.

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Liu, M., Li, H., Song, J. et al. Interactions between intercropped Avena sativa and Agropyron cristatum for nitrogen uptake. Plant Soil 447, 611–621 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-019-04389-z

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