Growth and rhizosphere P pools of legume–wheat rotations at low P supply

Legume pre-crops may increase P uptake of the following wheat, but the mechanisms behind this effect are unclear. A rotation study was carried out to assess the concentrations of rhizosphere P pools of three grain legumes and wheat (phase 1) and their effects on P uptake and P pools in the rhizosphere of the following wheat (phase 2). Faba bean, chickpea, white lupin and wheat were grown for 10 weeks in a loamy sand soil with low P availability. The following wheat was grown in the pre-crop soil with and without addition of pre-crop residues. Among the pre-crops, white lupin had the strongest effect on the P pools; it depleted the labile P pools, resin P and NaHCO₃-Pi and also the less labile P pools, NaOH-Pi and residual P; whereas the concentration of NaHCO₃-Po was higher than that in the rhizosphere of the other pre-crops. White lupin had a smaller biomass compared to faba bean which depleted the P pools to a lesser extent. Phosphorus uptake of the following wheat was greatest in white lupin pre-crop soil. Chickpea increased P uptake of the following wheat when residues were added. In the presence of residues, wheat after legumes depleted labile P pools to a greater extent than wheat after wheat, but this coincided with greater P uptake only in wheat after chickpea and white lupin, which may be explained by the small root biomass of wheat after faba bean. The results show that the greater P uptake of the following wheat induced by pre-crops may be due to two mechanisms: P mobilisation (white lupin) or P addition with legume residues (chickpea). This study further showed that P uptake by a crop is only partly a function of the depletion of P in the rhizosphere; another important factor is the ability to exploit a large soil volume.     

Growth,P uptake in grain legumes and changes in rhizosphere soil P pools

In soils with low P availability, several legumes have been shown to mobilise less labile P pools and a greater capacity to take up P than cereals. But there is little information about the size of various soil P pools in the rhizosphere of legumes in soil fertilised with P although P fertiliser is often added to legumes to improve N₂ fixation. The aim of this study was to compare the growth, P uptake and the changes in rhizosphere soil P pools in five grain legumes in a soil with added P. Nodulated chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.) and narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) were grown in a loamy sand soil low in available P to which 80 mg P kg⁻¹ was added and harvested at flowering and maturity. At maturity, growth and P uptake decreased in the following order: faba bean > chickpea > narrow-leafed lupin > yellow lupin > white lupin. Compared to the unplanted soil, the depletion of labile P pools (resin P and NaHCO₃-P inorganic) was greatest in the rhizosphere of faba bean (54% and 39%). Of the less labile P pools, NaOH-P inorganic was depleted in the rhizosphere of faba bean while NaOH-P organic and residual P were most strongly depleted in the rhizosphere of white lupin. The results suggest that even in the presence of labile P, less labile P pools may be depleted in the rhizosphere of some legumes.     

Legume residue influence arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation and P uptake by wheat

Legumes have been shown to increase growth and P uptake of the following cereal. This could, in part, be due to nutrients released by the decomposing legume residues. To investigate the effect of P added with legume residues on wheat growth, P uptake and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonisation, a number of experiments were conducted with different legume residues added to a soil with low P availability under conditions in which N was not limiting. Young and mature faba bean shoots (FYS, FMS) and mature chickpea shoots (CP) were added to soil at different rates (0.5–2%, w/w) with the P concentration being the greatest in the young faba bean shoots and least in the mature chickpea residues. Other treatments included addition of inorganic P at different rates (0–80 mg P kg⁻¹). Available P, growth and P uptake and AM colonisation of wheat were measured after 6 weeks. As expected, inorganic P addition increased growth and P uptake but decreased AM colonisation. The effect of the residues was more complex. AM colonisation was not correlated with available P in the soil amended with residues, whereas there was significant negative correlation between available P and AM colonisation in the treatments with inorganic P. Addition of FYS increased wheat shoot growth and P uptake and decreased AM colonisation. However, FMS and CP addition not only decreased wheat growth and P uptake but also AM colonisation despite low soil P availability. It is concluded that addition of some legume residues can improve the growth of subsequent cereals, but others have a negative effect on wheat growth and AM colonisation which cannot be explained solely by soil P availability.     

Short‐term effects of application of different rates of inorganic P and residue P on soil P pools and wheat growth

Phosphorus (P) can be added to soil as inorganic P or crop‐residue P, but little is known about how these two forms of P addition affect soil P pools and how their effect changes with the rate of P addition. A glasshouse experiment was conducted to assess the effect of inorganic P and P added as residues at different rates on (1) soil P pools at two time points: immediately after amendment and 42 d later, and (2) growth and P uptake by wheat at flowering (day 42). Three types of legume residues (faba bean young shoot, chickpea mature shoots with pods, and white lupin mature shoots without pods) were added to a loamy‐sand soil at a rate of 5 or 15 g residue kg^–1. Inorganic P was added at four different rates (3, 10, 30, and 100 mg P kg^–1) to give P‐addition rates corresponding to the total P added with the different residues at the two residue rates. Soil P pool concentrations (microbial P, resin‐P, NaHCO₃‐P, NaOH‐P, HCl‐P, and residual P) and wheat growth and P uptake (shoot and root) were measured after 6 weeks. Compared to inorganic P addition, P added with residues led to a 10%–80% greater increase in shoot biomass at the two highest P‐addition rates. Wheat P uptake was positively correlated with resin‐P and microbial‐P concentrations in residue‐P‐amended soil, but with resin‐P and NaOH‐P_i concentrations in soil amended with inorganic P. The concentration of HCl‐P decreased by up to 30% from day 0 to day 42 in the residue treatments and that of residual P decreased by about 20% in all treatments during this period suggesting that these nonlabile P pools are quite dynamic and could serve as P source for plants.     

Phosphorus uptake and rhizosphere properties of intercropped and monocropped maize, faba bean, and white lupin in acidic soil

Little information is available on phosphorus (P) uptake and rhizosphere processes in maize (Zea mays L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), and white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) when intercropped or grown alone in acidic soil. We studied P uptake and soil pH, carboxylate concentration, and microbial community structure in the rhizosphere of maize, faba bean, and white lupin in an acidic soil with 0–250 mg P (kg⁻¹ soil) as KH₂PO₄ (KP) or FePO₄ (FeP) with species grown alone or intercropped. All plant species increased the pH compared to unplanted control, particularly faba bean. High KP supply (>100 mg P kg⁻¹) significantly increased carboxylate concentration in the rhizosphere of maize. The carboxylate composition of the rhizosphere soil of maize and white lupin was significantly affected by P form (KP or FeP), whereas, this was not the case for faba bean. In maize, the carboxylate composition of the rhizosphere soil differed significantly between intercropping and monocropping. Yield and P uptake were similar in monocropping and intercropping. Monocropped faba bean had a greater concentration of phospholipid fatty acids in the rhizosphere than that in intercropping. Intercropping changed the microbial community structure in faba bean but not in the other corps. The results show that P supply and P form, as well as intercropping can affect carboxylate concentration and microbial community composition in the rhizosphere, but that the effect is plant species-specific. In contrast to previous studies in alkaline soils, intercropping of maize with legumes did not result in increased maize growth suggesting that the legumes did not increase P availability to maize in this acidic soil.     

Intercropping promotes the ability of durum wheat and chickpea to increase rhizosphere phosphorus availability in a low P soil

Cereal–legume intercropping can promote plant growth (i.e. facilitation) through an increase in the amount of phosphorus (P) taken up, especially in low P soils. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that these positive interactions are supported by rhizosphere processes that increase P availability, such as root-induced pH changes. In neutral and alkaline soils legumes are assumed to increase inorganic P availability by rhizosphere acidification due to N₂ fixation which benefit to the intercropped cereal. Growth, P uptake, changes in inorganic P availability and pH in the rhizosphere of intercropped species were thus investigated in a greenhouse pot experiment with durum wheat and chickpea either grown alone or intercropped. We used a neutral soil from a P fertilizer long-term field trial exhibiting either low (−P) or high (+P) P availability. Phosphorus availability was increased in the rhizosphere of both species, especially when intercropped in −P. Such increase was associated with alkalization. Rhizosphere pH changes could not fully explain the observed changes of P availability though. Low rates of N₂ fixation may explain why no rhizosphere acidification was observed. Increases in P availability did not lead to enhanced P uptake but growth promotion was observed for durum wheat intercropped with chickpea in −P soil. Our hypothesis of an increase in inorganic P availability in intercropping as a consequence of root-induced acidification by the legume was not validated, and we suggested that root-induced alkalization was involved instead, as well as other root-induced processes. Thus, the cereal through rhizosphere alkalization may also enhance P uptake and growth of the intercropped legume. Facilitation can thus occur in both ways.     

Grain legume effects on soil nitrogen mineralization potential and wheat productivity in a Mediterranean environment

The objective of this work was to provide evidence on the effects of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) on the dynamics of soil N availability and yield parameters of wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) in a legume–wheat rotation in comparison with the effects of the more extensively studied common vetch (Vicia sativa L.). Soil samples were taken from field plots just before wheat sowing and incubated in the laboratory to assess N mineralization potential, soil respiration and N immobilization after incorporation of legume residues. Soil after vetch cultivation showed the highest residual N and mineralization potential (120 mg N kg^?1 soil), the greatest CO₂ release and the smallest N immobilization. Smaller mineral N release (80 mg N kg^?1 soil) was shown by soil after faba bean cultivation, which, however, would be capable to support an average wheat production without fertilization. Soil after chickpea and wheat cultivation manifested no differences in residual N and mineralization or immobilization potential. Laboratory results were well correlated with grain yield and N uptake during the second season of rotation in the field. All legumes resulted in significant yield surpluses and provided N credit to the following unfertilized wheat.     

Different leguminous pre-crops increased yield of succeeding cereals in two consecutive years

Leguminous pre-crops are an important source of green manure in organic crop rotations for improving soil fertility and achieving high yields of cereals. We aimed to study the potential of various leguminous species, other than the traditionally cultivated red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), as green manure pre-crops for subsequent cereals. The use of different legume species enables to exploit advantages of specific legumes in organic cereal production. In order to test the legumes as pre-crops for cereals, we carried out trials located in the temperate climate zone of northeast Europe (58°44′59.41″ N, 26°24′54.02″ E). We sowed the following perennial legumes as pre-crops: red clover, alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum L.) and Washington lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl.), biennial white sweet clover (Melilotus albus Medik.) and annual Alexandria clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.). Timothy (Phleum pratense L.) was used as a control. The leguminous pre-crops were followed by three spring cereals (barley, oat and spring wheat) and two winter cereals (rye and winter wheat). We tested the first-year after-effect (all cereals) and second-year after-effect (only barley and oat) of pre-crops on the grain yield of cereals. Perennial and biennial legume species produced the highest dry matter yield and contained the highest amount of nutrients, especially nitrogen, compared to annual species. All subsequent cereals produced significant extra yields after each leguminous pre-crop in the following two years, although the effect was smaller in the second year. The most suitable pre-crops for spring cereals were red and alsike clover followed by lupine, whereas the best pre-crops for winter cereals were sweet clover and annual clovers. Our results show the potential of various leguminous pre-crop species as valuable sources of green manure in organic crop rotation.     

不同磷水平下小麦蚕豆间作对根际有效磷及磷吸收的影响

【目的】探明不同磷水平下小麦–蚕豆间作对根际有效磷含量及作物磷吸收量的影响,提高磷肥利用率。【方法】2015—2016和2016—2017两季田间试验在云南农业大学试验基地耕作红壤上进行,供试小麦品种为云麦-52,蚕豆品种为玉溪大粒豆。设施P2O5 0 (P0)、45 (P45)和90 kg/hm^2 (P90)三个水平,和单作(M,包括小麦单作MW和蚕豆单作MF)和间作(I)两种种植模式。每季在小麦分蘖期、拔节期、抽穗期、灌浆期和成熟期,蚕豆分枝期、开花期、结荚期、籽粒膨大期、收获期采取根际土样测定有效磷含量。在小麦蚕豆收获期测定单、间作小麦、蚕豆产量,并测定作物地上部磷含量。计算土地当量比(LER)来衡量间作优势,并用磷肥农学利用率来反映磷肥的吸收效率。【结果】与单作相比,在P0、P45、P90水平下,2016年间作种植显著提高了小麦籽粒产量12.5%、21.7%和17.3%,2017年间作蚕豆产量较单作分别降低了16.8%、11.7%和8.2%。三个磷水平下,小麦–蚕豆间作具有产量优势,土地当量比(LER)为0.95~1.18。与常规施磷水平(P90)下的单作相比,小麦–蚕豆间作条件下,磷肥减施1/2 (P45)并未降低小麦和蚕豆产量。间作种植对小麦根际有效磷含量无显著影响(除2016年成熟期外),但2017年,在蚕豆分枝期、开花期、结荚期,间作则分别降低蚕豆根际有效磷含量20.8%、44.5%和18%。与P90单作相比,间作P45处理几乎不会降低小麦、蚕豆根际有效磷含量。小麦、蚕豆磷吸收量主要受磷水平的调控,种植模式对小麦和蚕豆磷的吸收量及磷肥农学利用率均没有影响。【结论】在本试验条件下,小麦–蚕豆间作提高了小麦籽粒产量,降低了蚕豆产量;间作种植主要是改变了蚕豆生育前期根际有效磷含量,但对作物的磷吸收量没有影响。小麦–蚕豆间作具有减施磷肥、维持作物产量和根际土壤有效磷的潜力。     

Combined nitrogen input from legume residues and fertilizer improves early nitrogen supply and uptake by wheat

Soil nitrogen (N) supply for wheat N uptake can be manipulated through legume and fertilizer N inputs to achieve yield potential in low‐rainfall sandy soil environments. Field experiments over 2 years (2015–2016) were conducted at 2 different sites in a low‐rainfall sandy soil to determine the soil N supply capacity relative to wheat N uptake at key growth stages, after a combination of crop residue (removed, wheat or lupin) and fertilizer N (nil, low or high N) treatments were manipulated to improve wheat yield. We measured the temporal patterns of the soil profile mineral N and PAW to 100 cm depth, wheat aerial biomass and N uptake in both years. In 2016 we also measured the disease incidence as a key environmental variable. There was 35 kg ha^?1 more soil mineral N to 100 cm depth following lupin than wheat residues at the end of the fallow on average in both years. In a below average rainfall season, wheat biomass produced on lupin residues was responsive to N input with soil profile mineral N depleted by increased crop N uptake early in the season. In an above average rainfall season, a higher soil mineral N supply increased actual and potential grain yield, total biomass, N uptake, harvest index and water use efficiency of wheat, regardless of the source of N. Our study showed that the combination of lupin residues with high N rate increased soil profile mineral N at early growth stages, providing a greater soil N supply at the time of high wheat N demand, and the inclusion of a legume in the rotation is critical for improving the N supply to wheat, with added disease break benefits in a low‐rainfall sandy soil environment.     

Estimating N rhizodeposition of grain legumes using a N in situ stem labelling method

Grain legumes in crop rotations cause significant increases in yield for succeeding non-legumes, which cannot be explained simply by the small effect that legumes have on the soil nitrogen balance, as found in the analysis of N in crop residues. Besides known positive non-N-effects, other effects, mainly rhizodeposition and its contribution to the N balance and nitrogen dynamics after harvesting the grain, are poorly understood. In this study, N rhizodeposition, defined as root-derived N in the soil after removal of visible roots, was measured in faba bean (Vicia faba L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.) and white lupin (Lupinus albus L.). In a pot experiment the legumes were pulse labelled in situ with ¹⁵N urea using a cotton wick method. About 84% of the applied ¹⁵N was recovered for the three legume species at maturity. The ¹⁵N was comparatively uniformly distributed among plant parts. The N rhizodeposition constituted 13% of total plant N for faba bean and pea and 16% for white lupin at maturity, about 80% of below ground plant N, respectively. Some 7% (lupin)-31% (pea) of the total N rhizodeposits were recovered as micro-roots by wet sieving (200 μm) the soil after all visible roots had been removed. Only 14-18% of the rhizodeposition N was found in the microbial biomass and a very small amount of 3-7% was found in the mineral N fraction. In pea, 48% and in lupin 72% of N rhizodeposits could not be recovered in the mentioned pools and a major part of the unrecovered N was probably immobilised in microbial residues. The results of this study clearly indicate that N rhizodeposition from grain legumes represent a significant pool for N balance and N dynamics in crop rotations.     

Calculating changes of legume rhizosphere soil pH and soil solution phosphorus from phosphorus uptake

Abstract

Some legumes are known to reduce rhizosphere soil pH which in turn usually increases soil solution P, P_li and therefore increases P uptake. In an initial experiment with a nonlegume [corn (Zea mays L.)], observed P uptake agreed closely with predicted P uptake while with a legume [alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)], observed P uptake was greater than predicted P because the rhizosphere was acidified, P_li increased, and more P was absorbed. Using a pot experiment, this investigation calculates the change in rhizosphere pH and P_li necessary to have predicted P uptake obtained with a mechanistic uptake model agree with observed P uptake. The pot experiment was conducted with alfalfa, faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and Austrian winter pea (Lathyrus hirsutus) grown on Chalmers silt loam (fine‐silty, mixed, mesic Typic Haplaquolls) limed to pH levels of 5.72, 6.30, 7.22 and 8.30. Predicted phosphorus uptake at each pH level was calculated with the uptake model using the data for bulk soil. The relation of predicted P uptake to initial soil pH was determined, then this relation was used with observed P uptake to calculate rhizosphere pH. Subsequently, P_li as a function of pH was determined and used to calculate rhizosphere P_li. In this study, the calculations indicate that legumes reduced rhizosphere soil pH by 0.39 to 0.77 units and increased P availability by 20.8 to 241.7%.     

Effects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizers and Intercropping on Uptake of Nitrogen and Phosphorus by Wheat,Maize, and Faba Bean

Abstract

One‐third of all the cultivated land area is used for multiple cropping and half of the total grain yield is produced with multiple cropping in China. There have been numerous studies on nutrient acquisition by crops in legume/non‐legume intercropping systems, but few on nutrient uptake in cereal/cereal intercropping. This paper describes a field experiment in which integrated wheat/maize and maize/faba bean systems were compared with sole wheat and sole faba bean cropping to assess the effects of intercropping on nutrient uptake by wheat, maize, and faba bean under various application rates of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) fertilizers. Results show that both N and P fertilizers and intercropping enhanced N uptake by wheat, while only P fertilizer and intercropping increased P acquisition by wheat. The advantage of N uptake by border rows of wheat intercropped with maize declined with increasing N fertilizer application rate, but that of P acquisition was not affected by P fertilizer. The amounts of both N and P taken up by maize intercropped with faba bean were much higher than those by maize intercropped with wheat throughout the period of intercropping. Both fertilization and intercropping did not influence the N and P uptake by faba bean.     

Turnover of grain legume N rhizodeposits and effect of rhizodeposition on the turnover of crop residues

The turnover of N derived from rhizodeposition of faba bean (Vicia faba L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.) and white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) and the effects of the rhizodeposition on the subsequent C and N turnover of its crop residues were investigated in an incubation experiment (168 days, 15 °C). A sandy loam soil for the experiment was either stored at 6 °C or planted with the respective grain legume in pots. Legumes were in situ ¹⁵N stem labelled during growth and visible roots were removed at maturity. The remaining plant-derived N in soil was defined as N rhizodeposition. In the experiment the turnover of C and N was compared in soils with and without previous growth of three legumes and with and without incorporation of crop residues. After 168 days, 21% (lupin), 26% (faba bean) and 27% (pea) of rhizodeposition N was mineralised in the treatments without crop residues. A smaller amount of 15–17% was present as microbial biomass and between 30 and 55% of mineralised rhizodeposition N was present as microbial residue pool, which consists of microbial exoenzymes, mucous substances and dead microbial biomass. The effect of rhizodeposition on the C and N turnover of crop residues was inconsistent. Rhizodeposition increased the crop residue C mineralisation only in the lupin treatment; a similar pattern was found for microbial C, whereas the microbial N was increased by rhizodeposition in all treatments. The recovery of residual ¹⁵N in the microbial and mineral N pool was similar between the treatments containing only labelled crop residues and labelled crop residues + labelled rhizodeposits. This indicates a similar decomposability of both rhizodeposition N and crop residue N and may be attributable to an immobilisation of both N sources (rhizodeposits and crop residues) as microbial residues and a subsequent remineralisation mainly from this pool.Abbreviations C or N_dec C or N decomposed from residues - C or N_mic microbial C or N - C or N_micres microbial residue C or N - C or N_min mineralised C or N - C or N_input added C or N as crop residues and/or rhizodeposits - dfr derived from residues - dfR derived from rhizodeposition - Ndfr N derived from residues - NdfR N derived from rhizodeposition - N_loss losses of N derived from residues - SOM soil organic matter - WHC water holding capacity     

RESPONSES OF COOL-SEASON GRAIN LEGUMES AND WHEAT TO SOIL-APPLIED ZINC

The yield and zinc (Zn) content response of faba bean (Vicia faba L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to applications of Zn fertilizer was compared in a glasshouse experiment using two alkaline soils from southwestern Australia. Comparative Zn requirements were determined from yields of 46-day-old dried shoots when no Zn fertilizer was applied, the amount of Zn required to produce the same percentage of the maximum (relative) yield of dried shoots, and the Zn content of dried shoots (Zn concentration multiplied by yield of dried shoots). The concentration of Zn in youngest tissue and in dried shoots was used to determine critical concentrations for Zn in tissue. Faba bean used indigenous soil Zn more effectively than chickpea, followed by wheat and then lentil. The Zn requirement was lowest for faba bean, and increased in the order faba bean < chickpea < wheat < lentil. Zinc concentration in dried youngest tissue and in dried shoots increased with an increase in the amount of added Zn. The critical Zn concentration in the youngest tissue, associated with 90% of the relative yield, was (mg Zn kg^?1): 25 for lentil, 18 for faba bean, 17 for chickpea and 12 for wheat; corresponding values for dried whole tops (mg Zn kg^?1) were: 30 for lentil, 19 for faba bean, 17 for chickpea, and 20 for wheat. Information on comparative responses of the grain legumes to Zn additions relative to wheat, and critical tissue test values, will aid in the fertilizer management of Zn in cool-season grain legumes in the southwestern Australian farming systems.     

Soil phosphorus mobilization in the rhizosphere of cover crops has little effect on phosphorus cycling in California agricultural soils

Phosphorus (P) is a key limiting factor in many terrestrial ecosystems because most soil P is bound to soil minerals or organic matter. Increasing P cycling rates can increase P availability, including in agricultural soils that receive external P inputs. For example, cover crops may increase P cycling rates via plant uptake and P release during microbial decomposition. Cover crops and associated microbes may also change rhizosphere properties and stimulate soil P mobilization. We studied the potential of legume – fava bean (Vicia faba), vetches (Vicia dasycarpa, Vicia sativa, Vicia benghalensis) pea (Pisum sativum) – and cereal – rye (Secale cereale), wheat (Triticum aestivum), oat (Avena sativa) – cover crops to stimulate P cycling across management practices in two long-term systems trials in California. We measured cover crop biomass and nutrient content, P-mobilizing capacity (pH, organic acids, phosphatase activity) and soil P fraction changes in the rhizosphere. Cereals generally produced more biomass with similar P content compared to legumes, but higher C:P in cereal residues could favor microbial immobilization, delay residue mineralization and reduce P cycling rates. Legumes, especially fava bean, had the largest effect on rhizosphere properties by reducing pH and increasing organic acids concentrations and phosphatase activity. However, these changes in rhizosphere properties had a modest impact on soil P and did not increase soil P availability. Furthermore, we found no strong effect of management practices or soil P concentrations on soil P mobilization. Our results suggest that P mobilization in the rhizosphere of legumes is unlikely to increase P cycling rates in these soils, whereas P uptake and release in cereal biomass could have stronger effects.     

A conceptual framework and an empirical test of complementarity and facilitation with respect to phosphorous uptake by plant species mixtures

Plant species have different traits for mobilizing sparingly soluble phosphorus (P) resources, which could potentially lead to overyielding in P uptake by plant species mixtures compared to monocultures due to higher P uptake as a result of resource (P) partitioning and facilitation. However, there is circumstantial evidence at best for overyielding as a result of these mechanisms. Overyielding (the outcome) is easily confused with underlying mechanisms because of unclear definitions. We aimed to define a conceptual framework to separate outcome from underlying mechanisms and test it for facilitation and complementarity with respect to P acquisition by three plant species combinations grown on four soils. Our conceptual framework describes both mechanisms of complementarity and facilitation and outcomes (overyielding of mixtures or no overyielding) depending on the competitive ability of the species to uptake the mobilized P. Millet/chickpea mixtures were grown in pots on two calcareous soils mixed with calcium-bound P (CaP) and phytate P (PhyP). Cabbage/faba bean mixtures were grown on both acid and neutral soils mixed with P-coated iron (hydr)oxide (FeP) and PhyP. Wheat/maize mixtures were grown on all four soils. Rhizosphere carboxylate concentration and acid phosphatase activity (mechanisms) as well as plant P uptake and biomass (outcome) were determined for monocultures rhizosphere and species mixtures. Facilitation of P uptake occurred in millet/chickpea mixtures on one calcareous soil. We found no indications for P acquisition from different P sources, neither in millet/chickpea, nor in cabbage/faba bean mixtures. Cabbage and faba bean on the neutral soil differed in rhizosphere acid phosphatase activity and carboxylate concentration, but showed no overyielding. Wheat and maize, with similar root exudates, showed overyielding (the observed P uptake being 22% higher than the expected P uptake) on one calcareous soil. We concluded that although differences in plant physiological traits (root exudates) provide necessary conditions for complementarity and facilitation with respect to P uptake from different P sources, they do not necessarily result in increased P uptake by species mixtures, because of the relative competitive ability of the mixed species.     

Grain legumes differ in nitrogen accumulation and remobilisation during seed filling

In grain legumes, the N requirements of growing seeds are generally greater than biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and soil N uptake during seed filling, so that the N previously accumulated in the vegetative tissues needs to be redistributed in order to provide N to the seeds. Chickpea, field bean, pea, and white lupin were harvested at flowering and maturity to compare the relative contribution of BNF, soil N uptake, and N remobilisation to seed N. From flowering to maturity, shoot dry weight increased in all crops by approximately 50%, root did not appreciably change, and nodule decreased by 18%. The amount of plant N increased in all crops, however in field bean (17?g?m^?2) it was about twice that in chickpea, pea, and lupin. The increase was entirely due to seeds, whose N content at maturity was 26?g?m^?2 in field bean and 16?g?m^?2 in chickpea, pea, and lupin. The seed N content at maturity was higher than total N accumulation during grain filling in all crops, and endogenous N previously accumulated in vegetative parts was remobilised to fulfil the N demand of filling seeds. Nitrogen remobilisation ranged from 7?g?m^?2 in chickpea to 9?g?m^?2 in field bean, and was crucial in providing N to the seeds of chickpea, pea, and lupin (half of seed N content) but it was less important in field bean (one-third). All the vegetative organs of the plants underwent N remobilisation: shoots contributed to the N supply of seeds from 58% to 85%, roots from 11% to 37%, and nodules less than 8%. Improving grain legume yield requires either reduced N remobilisation or enhanced N supply, thus, a useful strategy is to select cultivars with high post-anthesis N₂ fixation or add mineral N at flowering.     

Productivity and rotational benefits of grass, medic pastures and faba beans in a rainfall limited environment

This study was undertaken to ascertain whether pulses, instead of pasture legumes, were more beneficial to grain yields by the following cereals in ley rotation systems. We evaluated growth processes for pastures or pulses and growth and yields for the following sequential crops of wheat and barley in a 3-crop rotation. The pasture or pulse phase that formed the main treatments consisted of grass pastures (Grass), medics (Medic) or faba beans that was either green manured (Faba-gm) or harvested for grain (Faba-gr). The rotations were initiated in two phases with Phase 1 starting in 1994 and Phase 2 in 1995, and each phase ran over 2 rotation cycles lasting 6 years. Despite differences in dry matter (DM) produced in the shoots and roots by the pastures and faba beans in the first years, they had similar seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) so water stored in the 100 cm profile of the soil was always similar when wheat was planted. By contrast, inorganic N in soil at wheat planting was always higher in legume rotations than in Grass and these differences persisted to the barley crop. Cereals in rotations with faba beans (Faba-gr and Faba-gm) produced more DM and grains than in Grass. In only 2 out of 8 croppings of cereals did wheat or barley in Medic out-yield those in Grass. These yield differences were not associated with uptake of soil N or use of soil-water by the cereals, but possibly due to lower levels of Pratylenchus neglectus in the soil under rotations with faba beans compared with pasture. Increased N supply after legumes or from fertilizer, however, increased grain protein in the cereals. This study showed that rotations with faba beans produced higher yields for the following cereals than with grassy or legume pastures, also green manuring of faba beans produced no advantage in yield for the cereals.     

Community composition of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the rhizosphere of intercropped wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.), maize (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zea mays</Emphasis> L.), and faba bean (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vicia faba</Emphasis> L.)

Cereal/cereal and cereal/legume intercropping systems are popular in the north, northwest, and southwest of China and often result in yield increases compared to monocropping. Rhizosphere interactions may play a significant role in the yield increases, particularly with respect to nutrient availability. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of intercropping on N availability and community composition of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the rhizosphere of wheat, maize, and faba bean at different growth stages. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) based on 16S rRNA genes was used to analyze the community composition of bacterial ammonia oxidizers belonging to β-proteobacteria. The results showed that intercropping with faba bean significantly increased nitrate concentrations in the rhizosphere of wheat and maize at the second sampling time (20 June) compared to monocropping or intercropping between maize and wheat. Intercropping significantly affected the community composition of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the rhizosphere compared to monocropping, and the effects were most pronounced in the maize/faba bean and wheat/maize intercropping systems when faba bean and wheat were at anthesis and maize was in seedling stage. In wheat/faba bean intercropping, the effects of intercropping on community composition of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were less pronounced at the seedling stage of the two species but were significant at anthesis.