How does row configuration affect the productivity in maize/peanut strip intercropping? A simulation study

• APSIM loaded with a strip light interception model effectively simulated maize and peanut growth in sole and intercropping. • The performances of intercropping systems varied with border-row proportion and land-use proportion in strip intercropping. • Intercropping stabilized crop yield and exhibited adaptation to climate change compared with monocultures. • We explored optimal system design in maize/peanut intercropping under climate change. The yield advantage of strip intercropping arises from the spatial niche differentiation through the combination of different crops. In this study, an improved Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) for strip intercropping was used to investigate optimal system design in maize/peanut intercropping under climate change. The validated model effectively simulated maize and peanut growth in sole and intercropping. The root mean square error (RMSE) of growth period of maize was 1.89 days, and the normalized RMSE (nRMSE) of yield and biomass were 20.5 % and 19.3 %, respectively. The RMSE of growth period of peanut was 3.42 days, and the nRMSE of yield and biomass were 27.4 % and 26.2 %, respectively. Simulated yields showed significant correlations with land-use proportion in strip intercropping. We analyzed crop yields, yield stability and land equivalent ratio (LER) of the intercropping with diverse row configurations for 60 years (1960–2019) under a warming and drying climate trend in Fuxin. Yields of sole maize and peanut decreased significantly during 60 years, while yield of intercropped maize and peanut remained stable with low coefficients of variation, indicating that intercropping can stabilize yield and mitigate climate risks. The average LER of each intercropping treatment was close to 1, but the LER in dry years was 1.04 on average, indicating a yield advantage in water limited conditions. A narrow-strip of maize intercropped with a wide-strip of peanut (e.g., M2P6, 2 rows of maize intercropped with 6 rows of peanut) amplified the advantage of maize and reduced the disadvantage of peanut, thereby enhancing productivity and reducing inter-annual variation. This study illustrates the importance of row configuration in strip intercropping and lays a foundation for future maize/peanut simulation study. The results are valuable for optimal design of intercropping systems.