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Spatial Arrangement and Biofertilizers Enhance the Performance of Legume - Millet Intercropping System in Rainfed Areas of Southern India

Singh, Devesh; Mathimaran, Natarajan; Sekar, Jegan; Ramalingam, Prabavathy Vaiyapuri; Perisamy, Yuvaraj; Raju, Kathiravan; Raj, Rengalakshmi; King, Israel Oliver; Nanjundegowda, Thimmegowda Matadadoddi; Narayanswamy, Manjunatha Baiyapalli; Chikkegowda, Bhavitha Nayakanahalli; Siddegowda, Savitha Matakere; Bagyaraj, Davis Joseph; Mäder, Paul; Boller, Thomas and Kahmen, Ansgar (2021) Spatial Arrangement and Biofertilizers Enhance the Performance of Legume - Millet Intercropping System in Rainfed Areas of Southern India. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5 (711284), pp. 1-18.

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Document available online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.711284/full


Summary

Intercropping is a well-established practice to enhance the yield in low-input agriculture, and beneficial microbes such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) combined with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria are being used as an effective and sustainable measure to improve yields. In this study, we tested if biofertilizers can not only enhance the yield of crops in monoculture as has previously been demonstrated but can also enhance the yield of intercropping systems. We hypothesized that because AMF can form common mycorrhizal networks (CMN) that can transfer nutrients and water between different plant species, biofertilization can balance belowground competition between crop species and promote thus overall yields in intercropping systems. In our study, we used a pigeon pea (PP)—finger millet (FM) intercropping system that we grew for two consecutive growing seasons (2016/17 and 2017/18) at two contrasting sites in Bengaluru and Kolli Hills, India. We also tested if the spatial arrangement (i.e., different arrangement of component plants with similar plant density in intercropping system) of intercropped plants, using either a row-wise or a mosaic design, influences the effect of biofertilizers on yield and water relations of the PP-FM intercropping system. Our results demonstrate that intercropping can improve the straw and grain yield of PP and FM compared to the respective monocultures and that intercropping effects vary depending on the site characteristic such as climate and soil type. The spatial arrangement of component plants affected the total, straw, and grain biomass in intercropping treatments, but this effect also varied across sites. Most importantly, the results from the 2017/18 growing season clearly demonstrated a positive effect of biofertilizer on biomass yield, and this effect was irrespective of site, spatial arrangement, mixed or monoculture. Our study therefore shows that yield increase in intercropping systems can further be improved through the application of biofertilizers.


EPrint Type:Journal paper
Keywords:intercropping, biofertilizers, Arbuscular mycorrhiza, finger millet, drought, bioirrigation, pigeon pea, rainfed agriculture
Agrovoc keywords:
Language
Value
URI
English
intercropping
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3910
English
biofertilizers
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_24975
English
Arbuscular mycorrhiza
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1415699873241
English
finger millet
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2904
English
drought
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2391
Subjects: Crop husbandry > Crop combinations and interactions
Crop husbandry > Composting and manuring
Soil
Research affiliation: Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Crops > Anbautechnik > Mixed cropping
Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Soil > Soil quality
India
DOI:10.3389/fsufs.2021.711284
Deposited By: Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau, FiBL
ID Code:43142
Deposited On:04 Jan 2022 12:31
Last Modified:04 Jan 2022 12:31
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted

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