Yield and quality of capsicum and maize in strip relay intercrops and monoculture patterns

Relay intercrops of capsicum and maize is practiced at a large scale in the Shaanxi province of northwest China.A field experiment and a root barrier technique were employed to document the yield and quality character of capsicum and maize in monoculture and strip relay intercrops pattern.The results showed that under capsicum / maize strip relay intercrops,the land equivalent ratio was 1.18～1.24,proving a significant yield advantage of relay intercrops.There was significant quality advantage of relay intercropped maize compared with the monoculture.Protein content,oil and one hundred grain weight of relay intercropped maize were significantly higher than that of monoculture.There was significant quality disadvantage of relay intercropped capsicum compared with the monoculture.The contents of capsaicin,soluble sugar,ascorbic acid and rate of soluble sugar to titratable acid in capsicum fruit were decreased by relay intercrops plants,as compared to monoculture plants.However,the titratable acid content and dry matter weight of fruit in relay intercrops capsicum were higher than that of monoculture capsicum.There was a different dynamics curve of different nutrition quality index during capsicum fruit ripening.Effect of relay intercrops on the nutrition quality of capsicum fruit were minor and mostly below detection threshold.Considering yield advantage and economic benefit,the capsicum and maize strip relay intercrops planting pattern was a promising management practice.