Intercropping Optimizes Soil Temperature and Increases Crop Water Productivity and Radiation Use Efficiency of Rainfed Potato
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Date
2019
Authors
Nyawade, Shadrack O.
Karanja, Nancy N.
Gachene, Charles K. K.
Gitari, Harun I.
Schulte-Geldermann, Elmar
Parker, Monica L.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer Verlag
Abstract
Integrating crop species with different photosynthetic pathways has great potential to increase efficiency in the use of scarce
resources. In order to tap the resource complementarity emanating from this mix, this study intercropped potato (Solanum
tuberosum L.) with lima bean (Phaseolus lunatas L.) and dolichos (Lablab purpureous L.), and related soil temperature with
radiation use efficiency and crop water productivity of rainfed potato in the upper midland (1552 m above sea level (masl), lowerhighland (1854 masl) and upper-highland (2553 masl)) agro-ecological zones of Kenya. Leaf area index (LAI), light interception,
soil temperature and soil water contents (SWC) were quantified at different stages of potato growth and related with the radiation
use efficiency (RUE) and crop water productivity (CWP) of potato. Intercropping increased crop LAI by 26–57% relative to sole
potato stands and significantly lowered the soil temperatures in the 0–30 cm depth by up to 7.3 °C. This caused an increase in
SWC by up to 38%, thus increasing RUE by 56–78% and CWP by 45–67%. Intercropping potato with legumes is coupled with
optimum root-zone soil temperature and soil water content, thus potentially exerting additive relations in radiation interception
and subsequent conversion into crop biomass.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Intercropping, Radiation interception, Radiation use efficiency, Soil water content, Soil temperature
Citation
Nyawade, S.O., Karanja, N.N., Gachene, C.K.K. et al. Am. J. Potato Res. (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-019-09737-4