Effects of row ratio regulation on growth, yield, and economic benefits in a maize–peanut intercropping system

Intercropping is an important cultivation strategy for improving land-use efficiency and crop productivity, in which row ratio configuration—a key agronomic measure for regulating interspecific interactions—plays a crucial role in optimising resource allocation and enhancing system-level benefits. This study aimed to elucidate the growth dynamics, interspecific competition, and yield formation mechanisms of maize and peanut under different row ratio configurations, thereby providing a theoretical basis for optimising intercropping system design. Field experiments were conducted with multiple maize–peanut row ratio treatments, and crop height, leaf area index, and dry matter accumulation were measured to assess growth performance. Canopy light interception and light-use efficiency were analysed, and indices such as the land equivalent ratio (LER) were used to quantify interspecific competition and complementarity, while economic returns were calculated for each treatment. The results showed that increasing the proportion of peanut rows enhanced the edge-row advantage of maize, significantly increasing dry matter accumulation per plant compared with inner rows; under optimal row ratio treatments, the system LER exceeded 1, demonstrating a clear yield advantage, and economic benefits improved significantly compared with monocultures of both crops. Overall, the study indicates that rational row ratio configuration can promote temporal–spatial niche differentiation, strengthen interspecific resource complementarity, and balance competition with mutualism, ultimately enhancing both yield and profitability of the intercropping system, and providing guidance for optimising maize–peanut intercropping patterns.