Abstract
(1) Background: Crop yields in China's arid and semi-arid regions are limited by water shortages. Exploring the interactions and resource utilization among agroforestry species is key to maintaining diversified agricultural production. (2) Objective: An apple-watermelon agroforestry system and watermelon sole-cropping system were compared to quantify how resource availability (light, water) and watermelon performance (leaf photosynthetic rate, growth, and yield) change with irrigation strategies. (3) Methods: A three-year apple and watermelon field experiment was conducted in a young apple orchard in the arid area of central Ningxia to test the effect of light competition and irrigation systems on light environment, leaf photosynthetic rate, plant growth, and yield in watermelon. The experiment encompassed two planting patterns: (i) apple-watermelon agroforestry (AF) and watermelon sole-cropping (SC) and (ii) three irrigation quotas (W1: 105 mm, W2: 210 mm, and W3: 315 mm). (4) Results: The results show that the agroforestry planting pattern extended the growth period of watermelon and increased the leaf area index. Mean daily shade intensity increased by 16.02% from 2020 to 2022. The land equivalent ratio (LER) was >1 in 2021 and 2022. The SWC, leaf photosynthetic rate, LAI, and yield of watermelon in an agroforestry planting pattern were lower than when in a sole-cropping planting pattern. However, under the W1 irrigation strategy, the total soluble solids of the agroforestry planting pattern were 2.27% higher than those of the sole-cropping pattern, and the yield of the agroforestry planting pattern was 2.59% higher than that of the sole-cropping pattern. Under the W3 irrigation strategy, the average watermelon weight in the agroforestry planting pattern was 2.85% higher than that of the sole-cropping pattern. A path analysis showed that the agroforestry planting pattern can increase the yield by increasing soil water content, which is different from the sole-cropping pattern. (5) Conclusions: The results confirm that the apple-watermelon agroforestry planting pattern reduced watermelon yields. However, the LER of the agroforestry system was greater than 1.0. It is reasonable to plant watermelons in young apple forests.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Agroforestry extended watermelon growth period.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatuse0 - Treatment
- agroforestry planting patterne0
- Outcome
- growth periode0
- Direction
- extendede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The results show that the agroforestry planting pattern extended the growth period of watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Agroforestry increased leaf area index.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- agroforestry planting patterne0
- Outcome
- leaf area indexe0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the agroforestry planting pattern extended the growth period of watermelon and increased the leaf area index”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean shade intensity rose 16.02% from 2020 to 2022.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- Mean daily shade intensitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 16.02%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mean daily shade intensity increased by 16.02% from 2020 to 2022”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
LER exceeded one in 2021 and 2022.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- land equivalent ratioe0
- Value
- >1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The land equivalent ratio (LER) was >1 in 2021 and 2022”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Agroforestry had lower soil water content.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- agroforestry planting patterne0
- Outcome
- SWCe0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- sole-cropping planting patterne0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The SWC, leaf photosynthetic rate, LAI, and yield of watermelon in an agroforestry planting pattern were lower than when in a sole-cropping planting pattern”
Claim · model-written summary
Agroforestry had lower photosynthetic rate and LAI.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- agroforestry planting patterne0
- Outcome
- leaf photosynthetic rate, LAIe0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- sole-cropping planting patterne0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The SWC, leaf photosynthetic rate, LAI, and yield of watermelon in an agroforestry planting pattern were lower than when in a sole-cropping planting pattern”
Claim · model-written summary
Agroforestry had lower watermelon yield overall.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- agroforestry planting patterne0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- sole-cropping planting patterne0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The SWC, leaf photosynthetic rate, LAI, and yield of watermelon in an agroforestry planting pattern were lower than when in a sole-cropping planting pattern”
Claim · model-written summary
At W1, agroforestry raised soluble solids 2.27%.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- agroforestry planting patterne0
- Outcome
- total soluble solidse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 2.27%e0
- Qualifier
- W1 irrigation strategye0
- Comparator
- sole-cropping patterne0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“under the W1 irrigation strategy, the total soluble solids of the agroforestry planting pattern were 2.27% higher than those of the sole-cropping pattern”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
At W1, agroforestry yield was 2.59% higher.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- agroforestry planting patterne0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 2.59%e0
- Comparator
- sole-cropping patterne0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the yield of the agroforestry planting pattern was 2.59% higher than that of the sole-cropping pattern”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
At W3, agroforestry watermelon weight was 2.85% higher.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- agroforestry planting patterne0
- Outcome
- average watermelon weighte0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 2.85%e0
- Comparator
- sole-cropping patterne0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under the W3 irrigation strategy, the average watermelon weight in the agroforestry planting pattern was 2.85% higher than that of the sole-cropping pattern”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Path analysis linked increased soil water to increased yield under agroforestry.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- agroforestry planting patterne0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Qualifier
- increasing soil water contente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the agroforestry planting pattern can increase the yield by increasing soil water content”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend planting watermelon in young apple forests.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- plant watermelons in young apple forestse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“It is reasonable to plant watermelons in young apple forests”
t0“Watermelon”
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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.