Intercropping fruit trees in tea plantation improves soil properties and the formation of tea quality components

Yu Duan; Gang Wang; Luyao Liang; Menghe Wang; Jie Jiang; Yuanchun Ma; Xujun Zhu; Juan Wu; Wanping Fang

doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108574

Intercropping fruit trees in tea plantation improves soil properties and the formation of tea quality components

Plant Physiol Biochem. 2024 Mar 31:210:108574. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108574. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yu Duan¹, Gang Wang², Luyao Liang¹, Menghe Wang¹, Jie Jiang¹, Yuanchun Ma¹, Xujun Zhu¹, Juan Wu³, Wanping Fang⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
² Horticultural Station, Suzhou, 215000, China.
³ Jiangsu vocational college of agriculture and forestry, Zhenjiang, 212400, China. Electronic address: wujuan@jsafc.edu.cn.
⁴ College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China. Electronic address: fangwp@njau.edu.cn.

PMID: 38564979
DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108574

Abstract

Intercropping has been recommended as a beneficial cropping practice for improving soil characteristic and tea quality. However, there is limited research on the effects of intercropping fruit trees on soil chemical properties, soil aggregate structure, and tea quality components. In this study, intercropping fruit trees, specifically loquats and citrus, had a significant impact on the total available nutrients, AMN, and AP in soil. During spring and autumn seasons, the soil large-macroaggregates (>2 mm) proportion increased by 5.93% and 19.03%, as well as 29.23% and 19.14%, respectively, when intercropping loquats and citrus. Similarly, intercropping waxberry resulted in a highest small-macroaggregates (0.25 mm-2 mm) proportion at 54.89% and 77.32%. Soil aggregate stability parameters of the R_0.25, MWD, and GMD were generally considered better soil aggregate stability indicators, and significantly improved in intercropping systems. Intercropping waxberry with higher values for those aggregate stability parameters and lower D values, showed a better soil aggregate distribution, while intercropping loquats and citrus at higher levels of AMN and AP in different soil aggregate sizes. As the soil aggregate sizes increased, the AMN and AP contents gradually decreased. Furthermore, the enhanced levels of amino acids were observed under loquat, waxberry, and citrus intercropping in spring, which increased by 27.98%, 27.35%, and 26.21%, respectively. The contents of tea polyphenol and caffeine were lower under loquat and citrus intercropping in spring. These findings indicated that intercropping fruit trees, specifically loquat and citrus, have immense potential in promoting the green and sustainable development of tea plantations.

Keywords: Intercropping tea plants and fruit trees; Soil aggregates; Soil extracellular enzyme activity; Soil nutrient properties; Tea quality components.