Summary
This four-year field experiment in Ukraine's Forest Steppe zone examined how fertiliser intensity and cropping system (monocrop versus binary maize–soybean intercrop) affected yield and seed composition. Binary cropping systems substantially increased total productivity (up to 44.8% above maize monocrop) and nutrient yields per unit area, whilst soybean in monocrop showed strong negative responses to elevated nitrogen (16–25% yield reduction at N₉₀ versus N₆₀), a response eliminated in intercrop systems. Protein and starch contents were largely genotype-determined, but binary systems markedly enhanced nutrient delivery per hectare.
Regional applicability
The study was conducted in Ukraine's Forest Steppe zone on typical chernozem soils; direct applicability to United Kingdom conditions is limited due to different soil types, climate, and growing seasons. However, the findings on intercropping benefits for yield stability and nutrient density, and soybean's sensitivity to excess nitrogen in monoculture, may be of interest to UK farmers exploring crop diversification and legume integration, particularly in southern and eastern regions with suitable growing conditions.
Key measures
Grain yield (t/ha), protein content (%), starch content (%), fat content (%), protein yield (t/ha), starch yield (t/ha), productivity stability under three fertiliser treatments (control, N₆₀P₄₅K₄₅, N₉₀P₆₀K₆₀)
Outcomes reported
The study compared yield, protein, fat and starch contents, and nutrient yields per unit area in maize and soybean grown as monocrops or binary (intercrop) systems under three fertiliser regimes over a four-year field trial. Binary cropping systems demonstrated higher total productivity and more stable responses to nitrogen fertilisation than monocrops.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Ask about this record, its theme or its relevance to UK farming and policy. Pulse AI uses selected catalogue evidence and cites the sources it draws on.