Summary
This three-year field trial in Eastern Washington evaluated intercropping grain legumes (peas and chickpeas) with canola as an agronomic strategy to reduce inputs and improve land use efficiency. Chickpea/canola and pea/canola intercrops showed moderate overyielding (LER 1.15 and 1.14 respectively), with canola dominating yield in chickpea intercrops whilst peas were more prominent in pea/canola systems. Intercropping increased soil water depletion at deeper soil depths compared to sole-cropped legumes, though subsequent winter wheat yields remained unaffected.
UK applicability
The findings may have limited direct applicability to UK conditions, as the trial was conducted in the semi-arid Palouse watershed and utilised crops (chickpeas, canola) that are less commonly intercropped in UK cereal rotations. However, the intercropping principles and water dynamics observations could inform UK farming systems research, particularly in drier regions or where reducing nitrogen inputs is a priority.
Key measures
Land equivalency ratios (LER); crop yield and yield components (plant height, branch number); soil water consumption at shallow (0–70 cm) and deep (70–130 cm) soil depths; winter wheat grain yield and quality
Outcomes reported
The study measured land equivalency ratios, yield components, soil water consumption at two depths (0–70 cm and 70–130 cm), and subsequent winter wheat yields and quality across sole-crop and intercropped treatments over three years.
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