Effects of Crop–Hedgerow Intercropping on the Soil Physicochemical Properties and Crop Yield on Sloping Cultivated Lands in a Purple Soil of Southwestern China

Crop–hedgerow intercropping systems are important agroforestry for preventing soil degradation and nutrient losses on sloping cultivated land in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) area of China. However, mechanism by which hedgerow spatial layouts planting patterns affect nutrients crop yields is still uncertain. A two-year field experiment was performed a 10° slope to investigate effects position different crop–hedgerow physicochemical properties yields. The treatments were two-belt mulberry contour (TM), compound mulberry–vetiver (TCMV), mulberry–alfalfa (TCMA), seven-year-old (7YTM), border (7YBM), pure (7YPM), control treatment (CT, no hedgerows). In all treatments, except 7YPM, there significant (p < 0.05) increase yield, clay content, total nitrogen (STN), acid-hydrolyzable (AHN), organic carbon (SOC) with declining position, whereas bulk density (BD), sand pH showed opposite trend. TM, TCMV, TCMA, 7YTM, mustard better than those CT, > difference yield or between upper-middle lower-middle positions. Compared TCMA increased 8.28% 9.86%, respectively, while 7YBM, 7YPM reduced 7.69%, 17.69%, 29.73%, respectively. TCMV confirmed be viable significantly reducing losses, improving quality, changing distributions maintain optimum lands.