Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Root distribution and interactions in jujube tree/wheat agroforestry system

  • Published:
Agroforestry Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Even though agronomists have considered the spatial root distribution of plants to be important for interspecific interactions in agricultural intercropping, few experimental studies have quantified patterns of root distribution and their impacts on interspecific interactions in agroforestry systems. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the relationship between root distribution and interspecific interactions between intercropped jujube tree (Zizyphus jujuba Mill.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum Linn.) in Hetian, south Xinjiang province, northwest China. Roots were sampled by auger in 2-, 4- and 6-year-old jujube tree/wheat intercropping and in sole wheat and 2-, 4- and 6-year-old sole jujube down to 100 cm depth in the soil profile. The roots of both intercropped wheat and jujube had less root length density (RLD) at all soil depths than those of sole wheat and jujube trees. The RLD of 6-year-old jujube intercropped with wheat at different soil depths was influenced by intercropping to a smaller extent than in other jujube/wheat intercropping combinations. 6-year-old jujube exhibited a stronger negative effect on the productivity of wheat than did 2- or 4-year-old jujube and there was less effect on productivity of jujube in the 6-year-old system than in the 2- or 4-year-old jujube trees grown in monoculture. These findings may partly explain the interspecific competition effects in jujube tree/wheat agroforestry systems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ashton PS (2000) Ecological theory of diversity and its applications to mixed species plantation systems. In: Ashton MS, Montagnini F (eds) The silvicultural basis for agroforestry systems. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 61–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson D, Johnson MG, Mattam D, Mercer ER (1978) The effect of orchard soil management on the uptake of nitrogen by established apple trees. J Sci Food Agric 30:129–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Böhm W (1979) Methods of studying root systems. Springer, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Cao FL, Kimmins JP, Wang JR (2012) Competitive interactions in ginkgo and crop species mixed agroforestry systems in Jiangsu, China. Agrofor Syst 84:401–415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chamshama SAO, Mugasha AG, Klovstad A, Haveraaen O, Maliondo SMS (1998) Growth and yield of maize alley cropped with Leucaena leucocephala and Faidherbia albida in Morogoro, Tanzan. Agrofor Syst 40:215–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chirko CP, Gold MA, Nguyen PV, Jiang JP (1996) Influence of direction and distance from trees on wheat yield and photosynthetic photon flux density (Q p ) in a Paulownia and wheat intercropping system. For Ecol Manag 83:171–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dhima KV, Lithourgidis AS, Vasilakoglou LB, Dordsas CA (2007) Competition indices of common vetch and cereal intercrops in two seeding ratios. Field Crop Res 100:249–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding SS, Su PX (2010) Effects of tree shading on maize crop within a poplar-maize compound system in Hexi Corridor oasis, northwestern China. Agrofor Syst 80:117–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Droppelmann KJ, Ephrath JE, Berliner PR (2000) Tree/crop complementarity in an arid zone runoff agroforestry system in northern Kenya. Agrofor Syst 50:1–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friday JB, Fownes JH (2002) Competition for light between hedgerows and maize in an alley cropping system in Hawaii, USA. Agrofor Syst 55:125–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García-Barrios L, Ong CK (2004) Ecological interactions in simultaneous agroforestry systems in the tropics: management lessons. Agrofor Syst 61:221–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gillespie AR, Jose S, Mengel DB, Hoover WL, Pope PE, Seifert JR, Biehle DJ, Stall T, Benjamin TJ (2000) Defining competition vectors in a temperate alley cropping system in the midwestern USA. Agrofor Syst 48:25–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruenewald H, Brandt BKV, Schneider BU, Bens O, Kendzia G, Huettl RF (2007) Agroforestry systems for the production of woody biomass for energy transformation purposes. Ecol Eng 29:319–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Imo M, Timmer VR (2002) Growth and nutritional interactions of nutrient-loaded black spruce seedlings with greenhouse natural vegetation under greenhouse conditions. For Sci 48:77–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Jose S, Gillespie AR, Seifert JR, Mengel DB, Pope PE (2000) Defining competition vectors in a temperate alley cropping system in the mid-western USA. 3. Competition for nitrogen and litter decomposition dynamics. Agrofor Syst 48:61–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jose S, Gillespie AR, Pallardy SG (2004) Interspecific interactions in temperate agroforestry. Agrofor Syst 61:237–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li FD, Meng P, Fu DL, Wang BP (2008) Light distribution, photosynthetic rate and yield in a Paulownia-wheat intercropping system in China. Agrofor Syst 74:163–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin QY, Xing LF, Li PY, Ding XT, Duan ZA (2000) Recounting and reviewing on the scientific research literature for intercropping system of jujube and crops in China. J Shandong Agric Univ 31:91–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu JQ, Halik W, Wang GS, Kasim Y (2012) Study on temporal and spatial distribution rules of characteristic fruit industry resources in Xinjiang. Agric Res Arid Areas 30:230–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Livesley SJ, Gregory PJ, Buresh RJ (2000) Competition in tree-row agroforestry systems. 1. Distribution and dynamics of fine roots length and biomass. Plant Soil 227:149–161

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maghembe JA, Kaoneka ARS, Lulandala LLL (1986) Intercropping, weeding and spacing effects on growth and nutrient content in Leucaena leucocephala at Morogoro, Tanzania. For Ecol Manag 16:269–279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mead R, Willey RW (1980) The concept of a land equivalent ratio and advantages in yields from intercropping. Exp Agric 16:217–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ong CK, Black CR, Marshall FM, Corlett JE (1996) Principles of resource capture and utilization of light and water. In: Ong CK, Huxley P (eds) Tree–crop interactions: a physiological approach. CAB International, Wallingford, pp 73–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Raddad EY, Luukkanen O (2007) The influence of different Acacia senegal agroforestry systems on soil water and crop yields in clay soils of the Blue Nile region, Sudan. Agric Water Manag 87:61–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao MR, Sharma MM, Ong CK (1990) A study of the potential of hedge row intercropping in semi-arid India using a two-way systematic design. Agrofor Syst 11:243–258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao MR, Sharma MM, Ong CK (1991) A tree-crop interface design and its use for evaluating the potential of hedge row intercropping. Agrofor Syst 13:143–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reyes T, Quiroz R, Luukkanen O (2009) Spice crop agroforestry systems in the east Usambara Mountain, Tanzania: growth analysis. Agrofor Syst 76:513–523

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rivest D, Cogliastro A, Bradley RL, Olivier A (2010) Intercropping hybrid poplar with soybean increases soil microbial biomass, mineral N supply and tree growth. Agrofor Syst 80:33–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schroth G (1999) A review of belowground interactions in agroforestry, focussing on mechanisms and management options. Agrofor Syst 43:5–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schroth G, Zech W (1995) Above- and below-ground biomass dynamics in a sole cropping and an alley cropping system with Gliricidia sepium in the semi-deciduous rainforest zone of West Africa. Agrofor Syst 31:181–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schroth G, Poidy N, Morshauser T, Zech W (1995) Effects of different methods of soil tillage and biomass application on crop yields and soil properties in agroforestry with high tree competition. Agric Ecosyst Environ 52:129–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandermeer J (1989) The ecology of intercropping. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wanvestraut RH, Jose S, Nair PKR, Brecke BJ (2004) Competition for water in a pecan (Carya illinoensis K. Koch)—cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) alley cropping system in the southern United States. Agrofor Syst 60:167–179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin R, He Q (1997) The spatial and temporal effects of Paulownia intercropping: the case of northern China. Agrofor Syst 37:91–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young A (1997) Agroforestry for soil management. CAB International, Wallingford, p 276

    Google Scholar 

  • Zamora DS, Jose S, Nair PKR, Ramsey CL (2006) Interspecific competition in a pecan-cotton alleycropping system in the southern United States: production physiology. Can J Bot 84:1686–1694

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zamora DS, Jose S, Nair PKR (2007) Morphological plasticity of cotton roots in response to interspecific competition with pecan in an alley cropping system in the southern United States. Agrofor Syst 69:107–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (Project No. 2009BADA4B03), by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture (Project No. 201003043-01) and by NSFC (Project No. 31121062).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China

    W. Zhang, P. Christie & L. Li

  2. College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, Xinjiang, China

    W. Zhang, P. Ahanbieke, B. J. Wang & L. H. Li

  3. Institute of Soil and Fertilizer and Agricultural Water Conservation, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Urumqi, 830091, Xinjiang, China

    W. L. Xu

  4. Agri-Environment Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, BT9 5PX, UK

    P. Christie

Authors
  1. W. Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Ahanbieke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. J. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. W. L. Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. L. H. Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. P. Christie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. L. Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to L. Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhang, W., Ahanbieke, P., Wang, B.J. et al. Root distribution and interactions in jujube tree/wheat agroforestry system. Agroforest Syst 87, 929–939 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-013-9609-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-013-9609-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation