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@ARTICLE{Shao:1026648,
      author       = {Shao, Zeqiang and Zheng, Congcong and Postma, Johannes Auke
                      and Gao, Qiang and Zhang, Jinjing},
      title        = {{M}ore {N} fertilizer, more maize, and less alfalfa: maize
                      benefits from its higher {N} uptake per unit root length},
      journal      = {Frontiers in Functional Plant Ecology},
      volume       = {15},
      issn         = {1664-462X},
      address      = {Lausanne},
      publisher    = {Frontiers Media},
      reportid     = {FZJ-2024-03484},
      pages        = {1338521},
      year         = {2024},
      abstract     = {Root plasticity is fundamental to soil nutrient acquisition
                      and maximizing production. Different soil nitrogen (N)
                      levels affect root development, aboveground dry matter
                      accumulation, and N uptake. This phenotypic plasticity is
                      well documented for single plants and specific monocultures
                      but is much less understood in intercrops in which species
                      compete for the available nutrients. Consequently, the study
                      tested whether the plasticity of plant roots, biomass and N
                      accumulation under different N levels in maize/alfalfa
                      intercropping systems differs quantitatively. Maize and
                      alfalfa were intercropped for two consecutive years in large
                      soil-filled rhizoboxes and fertilized with 6 different
                      levels of N fertilizer (0, 75, 150, 225, 270, and 300 kg
                      ha-1). Root length, root surface area, specific root length,
                      N uptake and yield were all increased in maize with
                      increasing fertilizer level, whereas higher N rates were
                      supraoptimal. Alfalfa had an optimal N rate of 75-150 kg
                      ha-1, likely because the competition from maize became more
                      severe at higher rates. Maize responded more strongly to the
                      fertilizer treatment in the second year when the alfalfa
                      biomass was much larger. N fertilization contributes more to
                      maize than alfalfa growth via root plasticity responses. Our
                      results suggest that farmers can maximize intercropping
                      yield and economic return by optimizing N fertilizer
                      management.},
      cin          = {IBG-2},
      ddc          = {570},
      cid          = {I:(DE-Juel1)IBG-2-20101118},
      pnm          = {2171 - Biological and environmental resources for
                      sustainable use (POF4-217)},
      pid          = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-2171},
      typ          = {PUB:(DE-HGF)16},
      pubmed       = {38384755},
      UT           = {WOS:001169067800001},
      doi          = {10.3389/fpls.2024.1338521},
      url          = {https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/1026648},
}