The effect of intercropping on the efficiency of faba bean - rhizobial symbiosis and durum wheat soil-nitrogen acquisition in a Mediterranean agroecosystem

Ghiles Kaci, Didier Blavet, Samia Benlahrech, Ernest Kouakoua, Petra Couderc, Philippe Deleporte, Dominique Desclaux, Mourad Latati, Marc Pansu, Jean-Jacques Drevon and Sidi Mohamed Ounane
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Ghiles Kaci: High National School of Agronomy, Plant Production Department, Laboratory for Integrative Improvement of Plant Productions, El Harrach, Algiers, Algeria
Didier Blavet: Research Institute for Development-IRD, UMR Eco&Sols, Functional Ecology and Biogeochemistry of Soils and Agro-Ecosystems, INRA-IRD-CIRAD-SupAgro, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Samia Benlahrech: High National School of Agronomy, Plant Production Department, Laboratory for Integrative Improvement of Plant Productions, El Harrach, Algiers, Algeria
Ernest Kouakoua: Research Institute for Development-IRD, UMR Eco&Sols, Functional Ecology and Biogeochemistry of Soils and Agro-Ecosystems, INRA-IRD-CIRAD-SupAgro, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Petra Couderc: Interdisciplinary Research Center in Letters, Languages, Arts and Humanities Sciences, UFR Lettres and Humanities Sciences, Antilles
Philippe Deleporte: Center for International Cooperation in Agronomic Research for Development-CIRAD,UMR Eco&Sols, Functional Ecology and Biogeochemistry of Soils and Agro-Ecosystems, INRA-IRD-CIRAD-SupAgro, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Dominique Desclaux: National Institue of Agronomic Research-INRA, UE Diascope, Montpellier, France
Mourad Latati: High National School of Agronomy, Plant Production Department, Laboratory for Integrative Improvement of Plant Productions, El Harrach, Algiers, Algeria
Marc Pansu: Research Institute for Development-IRD, UMR Eco&Sols, Functional Ecology and Biogeochemistry of Soils and Agro-Ecosystems, INRA-IRD-CIRAD-SupAgro, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Jean-Jacques Drevon: National Institute of Agronomic Research-INRA, UMR Eco&Sols, Functional Ecology and Biogeochemistry of Soils and Agro-Ecosystems, INRA-IRD-CIRAD-SupAgro, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Sidi Mohamed Ounane: High National School of Agronomy, Plant Production Department, Laboratory for Integrative Improvement of Plant Productions, El Harrach, Algiers, Algeria

Plant, Soil and Environment, 2018, vol. 64, issue 3, 138-146

Abstract: The aim of this study was to compare the rhizobial symbiosis and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) accumulations in soil and plants in intercropping versus sole cropping in biennial rotation of a cereal - durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), and a N2-fixing legume - faba bean (Vicia faba L.) over a three-year period at the INRA (National Institue of Agronomic Research) experimental station in the Mauguio district, south-east of Montpellier, France. Plant growth, nodulation and efficiency in the use of rhizobial symbiosis (EURS) for the legume, nitrogen nutrition index (NNI) for the cereal, and N and C accumulation in the soil were evaluated. Shoot dry weight (SDW) and NNI were significantly higher for intercropped than for the sole cropped wheat whereas there was no significant difference on SDW between the intercropped and sole cropped faba beans. EURS was higher in intercropped than in sole cropped faba bean. Furthermore, by comparison with a weeded fallow, there was a significant increase in soil C and N content over the three-year period of intercropping and sole cropping within the biennial rotation. It is concluded that intercropping increases the N nutrition of wheat by increasing the availability of soil-N for wheat. This increase may be due to a lower interspecific competition between legume and wheat than intra-specific competition between wheat plants, thanks to the compensation that the legume can achieve by fixing the atmospheric nitrogen.

Keywords: carbon storage; grain yield and quality production; legumes; macronutrients; N2 fixation; plant-soil system (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:64:y:2018:i:3:id:9-2018-pse

DOI: 10.17221/9/2018-PSE

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