Intercropping of Rice and Water Mimosa (Neptunia oleracea Lour.): A Novel Model to Control Pests and Diseases and Improve Yield and Grain Quality while Reducing N Fertilizer Application

Cereal/legume intercropping is an effective agricultural practice for pest and disease control crop production. However, global research on rice aquatic legume relatively rare. A field experiment during two seasons (2018 late season 2019 early season) was conducted to explore the effects of water mimosa canopy microclimate, disease, yield, grain quality, economic income. Two cultivation patterns including rice/water monocropping were employed, three nitrogen (N) fertilizer application levels, zero N (ZN, 0 kg ha−1 N), reduced (RN, 140 conventional (CN, 180 N) applied above patterns. The results showed that formed a microclimate with higher temperature lower relative humidity dew point temperature. In addition, there significant reduction in occurrences leaf blast by 15.05%~35.49%, folders 25.32%~43.40%, sheath blight 16.35%~41.91% treatments. Moreover, increased per unit yield 43.00%~53.10% 2018 21.40%~26.18% 2019. Furthermore, quality totally improved, among which brown head rates but chalky rate chalkiness degree decreased system. We suggest combining can be used as environmentally friendly eco-farming technique because it decrease approximately 40 kg·ha−1. This combination would not only mitigate nonpoint source pollution also obtain advantages controlling pests diseases alleviate pesticide usage improve extended green production increase income producers.