TY - JOUR

T1 - Positive intercropping effects on biomass production are species-specific and involve rhizosphere enzyme activities

T2 - Evidence from a field study

AU - Kumar, Amit

AU - Blagodaskaya, Evgenia

AU - Dippold, Michaela A.

AU - Temperton, Vicky

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).

PY - 2022/12/1

Y1 - 2022/12/1

N2 - Less attention has been given to soil enzymes that contribute to beneficial rhizosphere interactions in intercropping systems. Therefore, we performed a field experiment by growing faba bean, lupine, and maize in mono and mixed cultures in a moderately fertile soil. We measured shoot biomass and the kinetic parameters (maximal velocity (V max) and Michaelis-constant (K m)) of three key enzymes in the rhizosphere: Leucine-aminopeptidase (LAP), β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG), and phosphomonoesterase (PHO). Faba bean benefitted in mixed cultures by greater shoot biomass production with both maize and lupine compared to its expected biomass in monoculture. Next, LAP and NAG kinetic parameters were less responsive to mono and mixed cultures across the crop species. In contrast, both the V max and K m values of PHO increased in the faba bean rhizosphere when grown in mixed cultures with maize and lupine. A positive relative interaction index for shoot P and N uptake for faba bean showed its net facilitative interactions in the mixed cultures. Overall, these results suggest that over-productivity in intercropping is crop-specific and the positive intercropping effects could be modulated by P availability. We argue that the enzyme activities involved in nutrient cycling should be incorporated in further research. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

AB - Less attention has been given to soil enzymes that contribute to beneficial rhizosphere interactions in intercropping systems. Therefore, we performed a field experiment by growing faba bean, lupine, and maize in mono and mixed cultures in a moderately fertile soil. We measured shoot biomass and the kinetic parameters (maximal velocity (V max) and Michaelis-constant (K m)) of three key enzymes in the rhizosphere: Leucine-aminopeptidase (LAP), β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG), and phosphomonoesterase (PHO). Faba bean benefitted in mixed cultures by greater shoot biomass production with both maize and lupine compared to its expected biomass in monoculture. Next, LAP and NAG kinetic parameters were less responsive to mono and mixed cultures across the crop species. In contrast, both the V max and K m values of PHO increased in the faba bean rhizosphere when grown in mixed cultures with maize and lupine. A positive relative interaction index for shoot P and N uptake for faba bean showed its net facilitative interactions in the mixed cultures. Overall, these results suggest that over-productivity in intercropping is crop-specific and the positive intercropping effects could be modulated by P availability. We argue that the enzyme activities involved in nutrient cycling should be incorporated in further research. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

KW - Ecosystems Research

KW - Enzyme kinetic parameters

KW - Phosphorus mobilization

KW - Nitrogen fixation

KW - Niche complementarity

KW - Biomass increase

KW - Relative interaction index

KW - enzyme kinetic parameters

KW - phosphorus mobilization

KW - nitrogen fixation

KW - niche complementarity

KW - biomass increase

KW - relative interaction index

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85112615038&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/821700e2-e7ce-3f40-96e0-bef3707c0c28/

U2 - 10.1007/s42832-021-0108-0

DO - 10.1007/s42832-021-0108-0

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 4

SP - 444

EP - 453

JO - Soil Ecology Letters

JF - Soil Ecology Letters

SN - 2662-2289

IS - 4

ER -