Intercropping has a strong potential to counteract the severe degradation of arable land in the North China Plain (NCP). However, a rapid decline of intercropping can be observed in the last decades. The present paper investigates the reason for this development and suggests solutions on how to adjust intercropping systems to fit modern agriculture. Firstly, the developments of socioeconomic co...

The crop intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and radiation use efficiency (RUE) vary markedly in different intercropping systems. The HHLA (horizontally homogeneous leaf area) and ERCRT (extended row crop radiation transmission) models have been established to calculate the intercepted PAR for intercrops. However, there is still a lack of study on the intercepted PAR and RUE u...

BACKGROUND Intercropping systems could increase crop diversity and avoid vulnerability to biotic stresses. Most studies have shown that intercropping can provide relief to crops against wind-dispersed pathogens. However, there was limited data on how the practice of intercropping help crops against soil-borne Phytophthora disease. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Compared to pepper monoculture, a large sca...

Yield and nutrient acquisition advantages are frequently found in intercropping systems. However, there are few published reports on soil fertility in intercropping relative to monocultures. A field experiment was therefore established in 2009 in Gansu province, northwest China. The treatments comprised maize/faba bean, maize/soybean, maize/chickpea and maize/turnip intercropping, and their cor...

Bio-economic efficiency of different cotton-based intercropping systems was determined at the Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, (Pakistan) during 1996-97 and 1997-98. Cotton cultivar NIAB-78 was planted in 80-cm apart single rows and 120-cm spaced double row strips with the help of a single row hand drill. Intercropping systems were cotton alone, and cotton + mungb...

Due to drastic socio-economic changes traditional intercropping systems in China are endangered. New high yielding intercropping systems that can easily be mechanized have to be developed. By using environmental resources more efficiently intercropping often produces higher yields compared to monocropping. Solar radiation as the strongest growth factor plays a key role when designing new interc...

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of planting pattern and irrigation system on antioxidant activity of wheat and Persian clover. The experiment was carried out as a two-factor factorial with three replications. The first factor was irrigation system (conventional and partial root-zone irrigation) and the second was planting pattern (sole wheat, sole Persian clover, alterna...

Abstract: Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) plantation is a major land use practiced in Xishuangbanna of south-western China. Effects of rubber plantation (RP) and tea-rubber intercropping (TRI) systems on soil organic carbon pools were evaluated by recording changes in soil organic carbon in an age sequence of 12-, 20-, 26-, and 40-year old plantations. Labile organic carbon (LOC) increased in ...