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The plasticity of root distribution and nitrogen uptake contributes to recovery of maize growth at late growth stages in wheat/maize intercropping

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Abstract

Background and aims

Previous studies showed that the competition-recovery principle is one of the mechanisms underpinning overyielding in wheat/maize intercropping. However, few studies have focused on the effects of root morphological and physiological changes during the recovery growth of late-maturing species. The present study aimed to determine the mechanism underlying the recovery growth in terms of root distribution and nitrogen (N) uptake in response to different N supplies.

Methods

The roots of maize were sampled three times by auger after wheat harvest in the intercropping system with six levels of N application and sole crops at one N-application rate under field condition.

Results

Intercropped maize adjusted its root length density (RLD) and root distribution and enhanced its N absorption per unit root length with increasing soil N concentration. Soil inorganic N concentration had a direct influence on RLD of intercropped maize which was related to shoot N concentration. In addition, maize took up 93% more N per unit root length when intercropped with maize compared with sole cropping.

Conclusions

Our findings show that the recovery growth of late-maturing species involves phenotypic plasticity of maize root architecture, and the enhanced N uptake resulted from extra soil N acquired from the area where wheat was growing before its harvest.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. Hans Lambers for his comments and suggestions toward improving the manuscript. The research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Project Nos. 31430014, 31270477 and 31601682) and by the National Key Research and Development Program (Project No: 2016YFD0300202).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Plant and Soil Interactions, Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Resources and Environmental Science, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuan Ming Yuan West Road, Beijing, 100193, China

    Yi-Xiang Liu, Fang-Fang Zhang & Long Li

  2. State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China

    Yi-Xiang Liu

  3. Key Laboratory of Agro-Biodiversity and Pest Management of Education Ministry of China, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China

    Yi-Xiang Liu

  4. Institute of Soils, Fertilizers and Water-Saving Agriculture, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730070, China

    Jian-Hao Sun

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  1. Yi-Xiang Liu
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  4. Long Li
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Correspondence to Long Li.

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Liu, YX., Sun, JH., Zhang, FF. et al. The plasticity of root distribution and nitrogen uptake contributes to recovery of maize growth at late growth stages in wheat/maize intercropping. Plant Soil 447, 39–53 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-019-04034-9

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