Effect of Cumin Intercropping Density on Cotton Growth and System Economic Benefits under Subsurface Drip Irrigation

Effect of Cumin Intercropping Density on Cotton Growth and System Economic Benefits under Subsurface Drip Irrigation | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Effect of Cumin Intercropping Density on Cotton Growth and System Economic Benefits under Subsurface Drip Irrigation Deng Shijie, Zhang Humei, Feng Shi, Xuan Liu, Xiaojuan Shi, Nannan Li, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5603711/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 12 Jun, 2025 Read the published version in Journal of Cotton Research → Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The mulch-free subsurface drip irrigation system demonstrated water-saving potential as an alternative to traditional mulch-based drip irrigation, while also eliminating residual film pollution at the source. However, delayed sowing is unavoidable in mulch-free cultivation within ecological regions with a short frost-free period. Intercropping with cumin, which has a shorter growth period, served as an effective strategy to improve land use efficiency during the early growth stages of cotton. Therefore, a two-year field experiment was conducted to study the effects of intercropping cumin at the seeding rate of 2.5 (ID1), 3.85 (ID2), and 5.2 (ID3) kg hm − 2 on cotton growth, interspecies competition, fiber quality and water use efficiency (WUE), as well as system economic benefits under subsurface drip irrigation. Monocropped cotton was used as the control (CK) treatment. The results indicated that at the initial flowering (IF) stage (the end of the co-growth period of cotton and cumin), ID2 and ID3 treatments decreased cotton plant height by 5.93–16.53% and 10.87–31.11%, respectively, cotton stem diameter by 11.41–14.25% and 3.37–26.49%, respectively, vegetative biomass by 14.46–30.65% and 22.59–49.91%, respectively, compared with CK treatment. With the increasing of cumin density, the crop growth rate (CGR) and compensation effect in cotton tended to significantly decrease at IF stage regardless of organs considered. For non-co-growth period (after harvesting cumin), ID2 and ID3 treatments increased cotton reproductive organ biomass by 4.09%‒14.61% at boll opening stage, crop growth rate in reproductive organs by 20.74% and 74.26% from peak boll to boll opening stages compared with CK treatment, due to an enhancement of 19.09% and 49.30% in compensation effect. Compared with ID1, the aggressivity treated by ID2 and ID3 decreased by 12.82–46.34% and 17.95–31.71%, respectively. However, owing to a greater number of green bolls in the upper canopy at the harvest stages in ID3 treatment, the system production value (closely related to yield) treated by ID2 was 11.69–16.89%, 6.56–20.02%, and 16.48–59.83% greater than that of ID1, ID3, and CK treatments, respectively. This also led to the highest WUE and net profit under ID2 treatment. In conclusion, intercropping cumin with medium-density improved the cotton biomass accumulation characteristics and increased resources such as land and water utilization efficiency and economic benefits through a stronger compensation effect after harvesting cumin under subsurface drip irrigation without mulch. This study not only provides alternatives to residual film pollution in arid cotton fields but also establishes a sustainable agro-ecological-economic planting paradigm by reducing plastic use and enhancing water and fertilizer use efficiency, holding significant implications for advancing resource-efficient agricultural systems. Cotton intercropping with cumin Subsurface drip irrigation Biomass Interspecific competition Economic efficiency Resource competition Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 12 Jun, 2025 Read the published version in Journal of Cotton Research → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Apr, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 01 Apr, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 31 Mar, 2025 First submitted to journal 31 Mar, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5603711","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":437115793,"identity":"0633aef3-8169-4f8b-b999-239e5269a243","order_by":0,"name":"Deng Shijie","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shihezi University College of Agriculture","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Deng","middleName":"","lastName":"Shijie","suffix":""},{"id":437115794,"identity":"586e852f-332b-436b-a8e5-4c58bd531250","order_by":1,"name":"Zhang Humei","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shihezi University College of 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Research","twitterHandle":"@BioMedCentral","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Cotton intercropping with cumin, Subsurface drip irrigation, Biomass, Interspecific competition, Economic efficiency, Resource competition","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5603711/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5603711/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe mulch-free subsurface drip irrigation system demonstrated water-saving potential as an alternative to traditional mulch-based drip irrigation, while also eliminating residual film pollution at the source. However, delayed sowing is unavoidable in mulch-free cultivation within ecological regions with a short frost-free period. Intercropping with cumin, which has a shorter growth period, served as an effective strategy to improve land use efficiency during the early growth stages of cotton. Therefore, a two-year field experiment was conducted to study the effects of intercropping cumin at the seeding rate of 2.5 (ID1), 3.85 (ID2), and 5.2 (ID3) kg hm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;2\u003c/sup\u003e on cotton growth, interspecies competition, fiber quality and water use efficiency (WUE), as well as system economic benefits under subsurface drip irrigation. Monocropped cotton was used as the control (CK) treatment. The results indicated that at the initial flowering (IF) stage (the end of the co-growth period of cotton and cumin), ID2 and ID3 treatments decreased cotton plant height by 5.93\u0026ndash;16.53% and 10.87\u0026ndash;31.11%, respectively, cotton stem diameter by 11.41\u0026ndash;14.25% and 3.37\u0026ndash;26.49%, respectively, vegetative biomass by 14.46\u0026ndash;30.65% and 22.59\u0026ndash;49.91%, respectively, compared with CK treatment. With the increasing of cumin density, the crop growth rate (CGR) and compensation effect in cotton tended to significantly decrease at IF stage regardless of organs considered. For non-co-growth period (after harvesting cumin), ID2 and ID3 treatments increased cotton reproductive organ biomass by 4.09%‒14.61% at boll opening stage, crop growth rate in reproductive organs by 20.74% and 74.26% from peak boll to boll opening stages compared with CK treatment, due to an enhancement of 19.09% and 49.30% in compensation effect. Compared with ID1, the aggressivity treated by ID2 and ID3 decreased by 12.82\u0026ndash;46.34% and 17.95\u0026ndash;31.71%, respectively. However, owing to a greater number of green bolls in the upper canopy at the harvest stages in ID3 treatment, the system production value (closely related to yield) treated by ID2 was 11.69\u0026ndash;16.89%, 6.56\u0026ndash;20.02%, and 16.48\u0026ndash;59.83% greater than that of ID1, ID3, and CK treatments, respectively. This also led to the highest WUE and net profit under ID2 treatment. In conclusion, intercropping cumin with medium-density improved the cotton biomass accumulation characteristics and increased resources such as land and water utilization efficiency and economic benefits through a stronger compensation effect after harvesting cumin under subsurface drip irrigation without mulch. This study not only provides alternatives to residual film pollution in arid cotton fields but also establishes a sustainable agro-ecological-economic planting paradigm by reducing plastic use and enhancing water and fertilizer use efficiency, holding significant implications for advancing resource-efficient agricultural systems.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Effect of Cumin Intercropping Density on Cotton Growth and System Economic Benefits under Subsurface Drip Irrigation","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-04-03 13:09:45","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5603711/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-04-02T01:41:37+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-04-02T00:56:38+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-03-31T22:43:40+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Journal of Cotton Research","date":"2025-03-31T04:39:46+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"journal-of-cotton-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"cotn","sideBox":"Learn more about [Journal of Cotton Research](https://jcottonres.biomedcentral.com)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/cotn/default.aspx","title":"Journal of Cotton Research","twitterHandle":"@BioMedCentral","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"cc1f4a57-9167-4dd9-9937-7c24050a19fb","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 3rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-06-16T15:59:36+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-5603711","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42397-025-00229-x","journal":{"identity":"journal-of-cotton-research","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Journal of Cotton Research"},"publishedOn":"2025-06-12 15:57:12","publishedOnDateReadable":"June 12th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-04-03 13:09:45","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s42397-025-00229-x","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42397-025-00229-x","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-5603711","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-5603711","identity":"rs-5603711","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}