%0 Journal Article %T Effects of N levels on land productivity and N2O emissions in maize-soybean relay intercropping. %A Fu Z %A Chen P %A Li Y %A Luo K %A Lin P %A Li Y %A Yang H %A Yuan X %A Peng X %A Yang L %A Pu T %A Wu Y %A Wang X %A Yang W %A Yong T %J J Sci Food Agric %V 0 %N 0 %D 2024 Jul 9 %M 38980001 %F 4.125 %R 10.1002/jsfa.13709 %X BACKGROUND: Relay intercropping of maize and soybean can improve land productivity. However, the mechanism behind N2O emissions in this practice remains unclear. A two-factor randomized block field trial was conducted to reveal the mechanism of N2O emissions in a full additive maize-soybean relay intercropping. Factor A was three cropping systems - that is, monoculture maize (Zea mays L.), monoculture soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) and maize-soybean relay intercropping. Factor B was different N supply, containing no N, reduced N and conventional N. Differences in N2O emissions, soil properties, rhizosphere bacterial communities and yield advantage were evaluated.
RESULTS: The land equivalent ratio was 1.55-2.44, and the cumulative N2O emission ( C E N 2 O $$ \mathrm{C}{\mathrm{E}}_{{\mathrm{N}}_2\mathrm{O}} $$ ) was notably lower by 60.2% in intercropping than in monoculture, respectively. Reduced N declined C E N 2 O $$ \mathrm{C}{\mathrm{E}}_{{\mathrm{N}}_2\mathrm{O}} $$ without penalty on the yield advantages. The relay intercropping shifted soil properties - for example, soil organic matter, total N, NH 4 + $$ {\mathrm{NH}}_4^{+} $$ and protease activity - and improved the soil microorganism community - for example, Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria. Intercropping reduced C E N 2 O $$ \mathrm{C}{\mathrm{E}}_{{\mathrm{N}}_2\mathrm{O}} $$ by directly suppressing nirS- and amoA-regulated N2O generation during soil N cycling, or nirS- and amoA-mediated soil properties shifted to reduce C E N 2 O $$ \mathrm{C}{\mathrm{E}}_{{\mathrm{N}}_2\mathrm{O}} $$ indirectly. Reduced N directly reduced C E N 2 O $$ \mathrm{C}{\mathrm{E}}_{{\mathrm{N}}_2\mathrm{O}} $$ by decreasing soil N content and reducing soil microorganism activities to alleviate N2O produced in soil N cycling.
CONCLUSIONS: Conducting a full additive maize-soybean relay intercropping with reduced nitrogen supply provides a way to alleviate N2O emissions without the penalty on the yield advantage by changing rhizosphere bacterial communities and soil N cycling. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.