Poster De Conférence Année : 2016

Synergy between crop diversity and earthworm community improve crop yields.

Résumé

Functional diversity within plant communities may enhance productivity (Díaz et al. 2007). Among soil organisms, earthworms can positively affect plant growth (Scheu 2003, Brown et al. 2004). Biodiversity may also influence productivity of the plant cover through above- and belowground interactions (De Deyn and Van der Putten 2005, Eisenhauer 2012). Our study aimed to analyze simultaneous effects of diversity of the plant cover and of earthworms on wheat performances (Triticum aestivum L.). Mesocosms filled with soil and sown with either 6 wheat plants of the same cultivar, or 6 plants of 3 different wheat cultivars, or 3 wheats of 3 different cultivars with 3 clover plants (Trifolium hybridum L.). Within each kind of plant cover (n=15), mesocosms were inoculated or not with earthworms (n=5): i) 5 endogeic earthworms (Aporrectodea caliginosa S.), ii) combination of five endogeic and two anecic earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris S.), and iii) no earthwoms. Aboveground and belowground plant biomass and nitrogen concentration in roots and shoots were measured. The Relative Interaction Index (RII) (Armas et al. 2004) was calculated to highlight the strength of competition between plants with or without earthworms. The presence of different cultivars had no influence on the wheat performance but with clover, competition decreased (figure 1) to the benefit of wheat biomass and N accumulation (figure 2). The presence of earthworms also decreased competitive strength between individuals in mixed cultivars as well as in intercropping. In the presence of a legume (clover), performances of wheat (biomass, N) were improved thanks to niche complementarity and higher competition of the cereal for N uptake from soil. Earthworms changed the interaction between plants and highly reduced belowground competition. The benefit of interaction of two ecological groups was shown for root in the three cultivars treatment. It may be linked to a better nitrogen mineralization. None effect of the addition of functional diversity was observed in intercropping which may suggest that benefit from interactions reached a threshold. Wheat performances were increased in the presence of less competitive legume whereas no differences were observed in the presence of three cultivars. Furthermore, those performances were improved with the presence of earthworms. This suggested that plant cover diversity and earthworms community work synergistically to improve wheat yields.

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Dates et versions

hal-05014810 , version 1 (31-03-2025)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-05014810 , version 1

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Joëlle Fustec, Baptiste Drut, Nathalie Cassagne, Mario Cannavacciuolo. Synergy between crop diversity and earthworm community improve crop yields.. 14th Congress of European Society for Agronomy, Sep 2016, Edimburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. ⟨hal-05014810⟩
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