Abstract
In organic agriculture, intercropping is receiving increasing attention as it offers potential advantages for increasing sustainability in crop production. However, intercropping can increase competition between crops and weeds. In this study, we analyzed the effects of maize–legume intercrops on the weed community in an organic cropping system. We were concerned only with competition between crops and weeds for light. We recorded a statistically significant negative correlation between the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (F int PAR) intercepted by the canopy, and both weed density and weed dry matter. Maize–legume intercropping led to a higher soil canopy cover (leaf area index) than sole crops. The lowest values for F int PAR were received in sole crops. Thus, in maize–legume intercrops the decrease in available light for weeds led to a reduction of weed density and dry matter, compared to sole crops. Intercropping maize and legumes considerably reduced the weed density in the intercrop compared with the maize pure stand. Weed suppression by crops was also greater on a low-productivity site than on a high-productivity site. Our results indicate that intercropping could be useful for weed suppression in organic row-crops such as maize and cotton.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Weed density and weed dry matter were significantly negatively correlated with the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation intercepted by the canopy.
Verbatim
e0“We recorded a statistically significant negative correlation between the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (F int PAR) intercepted by the canopy, and both weed density and weed dry matter”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize–legume intercropping led to a higher soil canopy cover (leaf area index) than sole crops.
- Treatment
- Maize–legume intercroppinge0
- Outcome
- soil canopy cover (leaf area index)e0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- sole cropse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize–legume intercropping led to a higher soil canopy cover (leaf area index) than sole crops”
Claim · model-written summary
The lowest values of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (F int PAR) were found in sole crops.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The lowest values for F int PAR were received in sole crops”
t0“maize–legume intercropping”
Claim · model-written summary
In maize–legume intercrops the decrease in available light for weeds led to a reduction of weed density and dry matter compared with sole crops.
- Treatment
- maize–legume intercropse0
- Interactor
- weedse0weed
- Outcome
- weed density and dry mattere0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Comparator
- sole cropse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in maize–legume intercrops the decrease in available light for weeds led to a reduction of weed density and dry matter, compared to sole crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping maize and legumes considerably reduced weed density in the intercrop compared with the maize pure stand.
- Treatment
- Intercropping maize and legumese0
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Outcome
- weed densitye0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- maize pure stande0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Intercropping maize and legumes considerably reduced the weed density in the intercrop compared with the maize pure stand”
Claim · model-written summary
Weed suppression by crops was greater on a low-productivity site than on a high-productivity site.
Verbatim
e0“Weed suppression by crops was also greater on a low-productivity site than on a high-productivity site”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that intercropping could be useful for weed suppression in organic row-crops such as maize and cotton.
- Taxon
- maize and cotton
Gossypium hirsutum
Zea mayse0 - Outcome
- weed suppressione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“intercropping could be useful for weed suppression in organic row-crops such as maize and cotton”
The same questions in other papers
intercropping · weed · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
70 papers in the same direction as this paper · 7 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- positive
- positive
- positive
75 papers more in this group
See all 79 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.