Optimizing plant density to improve the soil microenvironment and enhance crop productivity in cotton/cumin intercropping systems

Compared with the CK treatment, the ID2 treatment decreased the water content in the 0-30 cm soil layer by 8.3%, increased the water consumption by 9.1%, increased the soil temperature by 0.5°C, and decreased the electrical conductivity of the 0-15 cm soil layer by 17.7%. Compared with the CK treatment, the ID1 treatment significantly decreased the soil respiration rate by 33.6%, and the weed density decreased in the following order: CK>ID1>ID2>ID3. During the nonsymbiotic period, compared with CK, ID2 increased the soil water content by 5.7%, increased the soil respiration rate by 17.7%, and decreased the electrical conductivity by 15.6%. Compared with those for CK and ID3, the seed yield for ID2 increased by 2.0% and 5.8%, respectively, and that for ID1 decreased by 1.6%. However, the land equivalent of the ID2 treatment was 4.3% greater than that for the ID1 treatment. Therefore, intercropping cumin at a density of 8×10⁵ plants ha^-1 is beneficial for increasing surface coverage, significantly increasing crop water consumption, increasing surface temperature, reducing soil electrical conductivity and carbon emissions, and improving the crop yield and economic benefits. This model can be used as an agroecologically friendly and sustainable planting model.