The Effect of Nitrogen Supply on Water and Nitrogen Use Efficiency by Wheat–Chickpea Intercropping System under Rain-Fed Mediterranean Conditions
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Published:2023-01-30
Issue:2
Volume:13
Page:338
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ISSN:2077-0472
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Container-title:Agriculture
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Agriculture
Author:
Bouras Fatma-Zohra1, Hadjout Salah2ORCID, Haddad Benalia1, Malek Asma1, Aitmoumene Sonia1, Gueboub Feriel1, Metrah Luiza1, Zemmouri Bahia1, Kherif Omar1ORCID, Rebouh Nazih-Yacer3ORCID, Latati Mourad13ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Laboratoire d’Amélioration Intégrative des Productions Végétales (C2711100), Département de Productions Végétales, Avenue Hassane Badi, Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique (ES1603), El Harrach, Algiers 16200, Algeria 2. Centre de Recherche en Aménagement du Territoire—CRAT, Campus Universitaire Zouaghi Slimane, Constantine 25000, Algeria 3. Department of Environmental Management, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 6 Miklukho-Maklaya Street, 117198 Moscow, Russia
Abstract
It is well known that legume–cereal intercropping systems are more efficient in terms of resources use, in particular nitrogen (N) and water. However, the response of this cropping system to water and N co-limitation was poorly studied in most of the recent field researches. The present study aims to assess the relationship between N and water use efficiency (NUE and WUE) by chickpea–durum wheat intercropping under contrasted climate and N supply conditions. Field experiments were carried out during the 2021/2022 growing season, in three sites located at both sub-humid and semi-arid regions. WUE, NUE, aboveground biomass, grain yield and crop physiological parameters for either intercropped chickpea or durum wheat were assessed and compared to the respective measurements in monocultures among all N-fertilizer level × site treatments. The results showed that WUE relative to grain yield (WUEGY) and biomass (WUEYB) were significantly higher in sole cropped wheat under the conditions of the three studied sites, except for WUEYB in S2, in which intercropping increased WUEYB by +0.46 and +1.03 kg m−3, as compared respectively, to monoculture under low application of N fertilizer. As compared to chickpea monoculture, intercropping increased WUEGY by more than 0.30 and 0.57 kg m−3 under semi-arid conditions (S1 and S3) over three N-application doses, and by more than 0.18 kg m−3 under sub-humid conditions (S2). Simultaneously, NUE was significantly increased by intercropping, where in the mixed crop the highest values were noted as compared to sole-cropped durum wheat and chickpea. However, reducing the N-application dose leads to a gradual increase in NUE by more than 4.44 kg kg−1. As a consequence, intercropping enhanced protein accumulation in the grain yield of mixed crops by more than 30 kg ha−1 as compared to sole-cropped durum wheat, in particular under moderate N-application and sub-humid climate. Indeed, average chlorophyll content was increased (7.8%) in intercropped durum wheat under all applied N-doses in sub-humid conditions. Rain-fed chickpea–wheat intercropping promotes an improvement in growth and yield quality thanks to simultaneous optimization of water and N use under low and moderate N-application in both semi-arid and sub-humid climates.
Funder
PRIMA Algerian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research The RUDN University Strategic Academic Leadership Program
Subject
Plant Science,Agronomy and Crop Science,Food Science
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