Acta Agriculturae Boreali-Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (3): 91-106. doi: 10.7668/hbnxb.20195864

Special Issue: Corn Oil crops Hot Article Cultivation & Physiology

• Tillage & Cultivation•Physiology & Biochemistry • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Optimum Strip Configuration for Intercropping of Maize Varieties with Different Border-row Advantages and Soybeans

CHEN Yinyin1,2, GAO Yifan1,2, ZHANG Xuelin1,2,3, ZHOU Lin1,2,4, TANG Jihua1,2,3, LI Hui5, LI Hongping1,2,3, LIU Tianxue1,2,3   

  1. 1 College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
    2 State Key Laboratory of High-Efficiency Production of Wheat-Maize Double Cropping, Zhengzhou 450046, China
    3 Key Laboratory of Regulating and Controlling Crop Growth and Development, Ministry of Education, Zhengzhou 450046, China
    4 College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
    5 Henan Xinlianxin Chemical Industry Group Company Limited, Xinxiang 453700, China
  • Received:2025-02-24 Published:2026-06-28

Abstract:

To determine the optimum strip configuration for the intercropping of soybean and maize with different border-row advantages,the field experiments were carried out in two distinct ecological regions,Jian'an District of Xuchang City and Shangshui County of Zhoukou City,Henan Province.The experimental materials included two maize varieties with strong border-row advantage(MC121 and Denghai 3206(DH3206)),and two with weak border-row advantage(Haoyu 16(HY16)and MY73),previously screened,and one soybean variety Jindou 99(JD99).Two strip intercropping patterns were established∶6 rows of soybeans alternating with 4 rows of maize(6S4M)and 4 rows of soybeans alternating with 2 rows of maize(4S2M).Sole cropping of soybeans(CKS)and maize(CKM)were set as the controls.This study investigated the variations in maize agronomic traits,dry shoot weight,yield and its components of each row under different strip patterns,and compared the differences of land equivalent ratio(LER).The results showed that the LER was greater than 1 in 12 of the 16 treatments formed by two strip configurations for four maize varieties in the two ecological regions,and the LER of maize varieties HY16 and MY73 was greater than 1 under each strip configuration at two sites.The LER of MC121 and DH3206,with strong border-row advantage,was higher in strip type of 4S2M than that of 6S4M.In contrast,the LER of HY16,with weak border-row advantage,was higher in strip type of 6S4M than that of 4S2M,while it was opposite for MY73.Under 6S4M planting pattern,stem diameter,canopy light transmittance,chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b contents in ear leaf and leaf below the ear of maize variety DH3206 decreased with the increase of border row order;bottom light transmittance,chlorophyll b content in ear leaf and leaf below the ear of maize variety MC121 decreased with the increase of border row order in two experimental sites.The yield of maize varieties MC121 and DH3206 with strong border-row advantage in Jian'an District and Shangshui County decreased by 23.71%,27.00% and by 20.03%,9.05%,respectively.The dry shoot weight per plant of the edge row-2 at maturity decreased by 15.87%,19.93% and by 13.82%,24.56%,respectively,compared with the edge row-1.In contrast,there was no significant change in yield and dry shoot weight per plant at maturity between the edge row-1 and the edge row-2 of maize varieties with weak border-row advantage.In conclusion,the average LER of varieties with weak border-row advantage is higher than those with strong border-row advantage under the same strip configuration,and maize yield difference between intercropping and monoculture is seriously affected by variety type.Therefore,screening and matching suitable maize varieties is essential for improving the yield and benefit of soybean-maize strip intercropping system.

Key words: Maize, Soybean, Strip composite planting, Strip configuration, Border-row advantages

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Cite this article

CHEN Yinyin, GAO Yifan, ZHANG Xuelin, ZHOU Lin, TANG Jihua, LI Hui, LI Hongping, LIU Tianxue. Optimum Strip Configuration for Intercropping of Maize Varieties with Different Border-row Advantages and Soybeans[J]. Acta Agriculturae Boreali-Sinica, 2026, 41(3): 91-106. doi: 10.7668/hbnxb.20195864.

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