The Some Science of Grain Intercropping

Martin Entz
University of Manitoba
Intercropping Innovators workshop
Regina, Saskatchewan, January 24, 2018
Hypothesis: Future yield gains will require new forms of diversity,
and intercropping (spatial diversity) can play a central role.
Intercropping for yield

Land equivalent ratio

 Percent of time intercrop
Land Equivalency Ratio (LER) overyielded

Intercrop No herbicide Herbicide Average No herbicide Herbicide Average

Wheat-
1.13 1.04 1.09 40% 80% 60%
Canola
Wheat-
0.87 1.10 0.99 20% 40% 30%
Pea
Canola-
1.19 1.22 1.21 67% 100% 84%
Pea
Wheat-
Canola- 1.16 1.12 1.14 60% 80% 70%
Pea
Average 1.09 1.12 1.11 47% 75% 61%

Szumigalski, A. and R. Van Acker. 2005. Weed suppression and crop production in
annual intercrops. Weed Sci 53:813–825.
Plant physiology and intercropping
 Dr. Rob Gulden,
University of Manitoba
Wheat intercropped with common bean exhibited a 33% increase in shoot biomass and a
22% increased root biomass, without significantly affecting common bean growth.
AMF’s motivation
is insurance – to
diversify it’s C sources
(Gorzelnak et al. 2015).
 Which crops form mycorrhizae?

Group I: Very Mycorrhizal

• Corn
• Flax Surplus C?
• Sunflower
• Peas
• Beans
• Potato
Group II: Mycorrhizal
• Wheat
• Oat
• Barley
(Plenchette, 1983)
Intercropping to reduce N fertilizer need
 Tomm et al. 1994
observed N
transfer can
be bi-directional

Walley et al. 1996

in alfalfa-brome,
N transfer largely
by net mineralization
 N transfer from pea to barley not usually
detected in field, but confirmed in
controlled studies where split-root
system used.

Jensen (1996) found barley gets 19% of

its N from intercropped pea when grown
together for 70 days.

Sawatsky and Soper (1991) observed

significant amounts of N deposited into
the rhizosphere by pea.

Xiao et al. (2014) and Li et al. (2009) observed

legumes contribute up to 15% of N to
an intercropped cereal.

Jacobsen and Nielsen (1983) – N fixation in

intercrop decreased as level of soil N increased.
• Canola – pea intercrop increased N uptake into whole plant tissue and into grain.

Szumigalski, A.R. and Van Acker, R.C., 2006. Nitrogen yield and land use efficiency in annual sole crops and intercrops. Agronomy
Journal, 98(4), pp.1030-1040.
Intercropping for total N (protein) production in the forage. Mixed intercropping gave
higher forage yield than row Intercropping. Adding N fertilizer decreased LER of both
biomass and protein. Chen et al. 2004 Agron J. 96:1730-1738.
Can intercrops
reduce nitrous
oxide losses?
Clover

Barley-clover

Barley-Pea with green manure

Barley
Barley-Pea
Intercropping to reduce P fertilizer need
Intercropping and Phosphorus
Compounds released from roots include:
• Phosphatases
• Carboxylates
• Protons
• Organic acids (citric acid)
• Ligands

-Most soluabilize inorganic P (Richards, 2009)

-Chickpea allowed wheat access to organic P
via phosphatase excretion from roots (Li).

Large proportion of phosphatase secretion and P facilitation in

Rhizosphere due to soil microbes – not directly from root enzymes

Communities of bacteria that evolved in mixed species

communities increased production by 16% vs bacteria
from monoculture (Lawrence et al. 2012).
Fababean Soybean Corn
 Gansu province, NW China

Corn-chickpea intercrop
 In 4 years of field experiments, maize (Zea mays L.) overyielded by 43% and
faba bean (Vicia faba L.) overyielded by 26% when intercropped on a low-
phosphorus but high-nitrogen soil.

Overyielding of maize was attributable to belowground interactions between

faba bean and maize.

By using permeable and impermeable root barriers, we found that maize

overyielding resulted from its uptake of phosphorus mobilized by the
acidification of the rhizosphere via fababean root release of organic acids and
protons.

Faba bean overyielded because its growth season and rooting depth differed
from maize. The large increase in yields from intercropping on low phosphorus
soils is likely to be especially important on heavily weathered soils.

Li, L., Li, S.M., Sun, J.H., Zhou, L.L., Bao, X.G., Zhang, H.G. and Zhang, F.S., 2007. Diversity
enhances agricultural productivity via rhizosphere phosphorus facilitation on phosphorus-
deficient soils. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(27), pp.11192-11196.
 Fall Residual Soil P (0-60cm)
Bill May, AAFC, Indian Head

35

Soil Residual P (kg ha-1 in 0-

30
25
20

60cm)
After 9 years 15
10
medic
nomed
5
0
0 50 100 150
Percentage of Recommended Nitrogen
Pridham, J.C. and Entz, M.H., 2008. Intercropping spring wheat with cereal grains, legumes,
and oilseeds fails to improve productivity under organic management. Agron. J, 100(5),
pp.1436-1442.
Forget Australia – go visit China or India!
Mohta and De (1980) reported a 31% increase in
soybean yield in the maize–soybean system and a
26% increase in the sorghum–soybean system when
components were arranged in double alternate rows
compared with single alternate rows.

Mohta and De (1980) J. Agric. Sci. 95:117-122

What crop varieties best for intercropping?
Benaragama, D., Rossnagel,
B.G. and Shirtliffe, S.J., 2014.
Breeding for competitive and
high-yielding crop
cultivars. Crop Science, 54(3),
pp.1015-1025.
Farmer participatory plant breeding
Late-season cover cropping

Scott Beaton
 Niche -

Increase mid-season productivity

Early season
niche
Spring planted Late season
monocrop niche
Cover crop – a crop outside maincrop growth period

Cover crop No cover crop

• Roots have a greater influence on increasing soil C than
shoots (Puget and Drinkwater, 2001). This is because
root C is more easily protected by soil aggregates through
various biological processes.

• Legume roots are especially important since N (which

legumes supply) is required for soils to fix carbon.

This may explain

why cover crops
improve soils
Cover crops and microclimate
- eg. Reduce frost penetration
Air temperature 5 cm (2”) above soil surface. June 24, 1999.

0C

Thiessen Martens et al. 2001. Agron. J. 93:1086-1096

Air temperature 5 cm (2”) above soil surface. October 10, 1999.

0C

Thiessen Martens et al. 2001. Agron. J. 93:1086-1096

Annual ryegrass in corn - Quebec
Crimson clover in oats - Quebec
 Plant diversity and food security:
Nicaragua tomato production

Cover crops
(mung bean)
and
vermicompost

No cover crops and only

inorganic fertilizer
Sole-cropped, unfertilized maize is the dominant cropping system
throughout southern Africa (Snapp et al. 2002).
 No mulch Mulch

Rotation standard for us, but not for small-holders

Intercropping adds yield and nutritional diversity in good years
and provides food in bad year.

Legume (lablab) better adapted than maize (corn)

 Deep rooted plants for
water lifting

Prairie rose
Merging intercropping with a healthier soil

Once we have improved the biology

of soils, we create new pools of
resources in that soil.
 Multiple resource pools when soils are healthy
learning about intercropping from weed science
Till peas

Lupwayi, N.Z., Rice,

W.A. and Clayton, G.W.,
1999. Soil microbial
No-till peas biomass and carbon
dioxide flux under
wheat as influenced by
tillage and crop
Lupwayi, N.Z., Ric
rotation. Canadian
Clayton, G.W., 1999
journal of soil
biomass and carbo
science, 79:273-280.
under wheat as in
tillage and
rotation. Canadian
science, 79(2), p