Width of clover strips and wheat rows influence grain yield in winter wheat/white clover intercropping

Intercropping of winter wheat and clover resulted in wheat grain yield decreases of 10-25% compared with a wheat sole crop. The yield reductions were likely caused by interspecific competition for light and N during vegetative growth, and for soil water during grain filling. N uptake in the wheat intercrop increased during late season growth, resulting in only small differences in total N uptake between wheat intercrops and sole crops, but increased grain N concentrations in the intercrop. Interspecific competition during vegetative wheat growth was reduced by increasing width of the rototilled strips from 7 to 14 cm, resulting in higher grain yields and increased grain N uptake. Increasing the sowing width of the wheat crop from 3 to 6 cm increased interspecific interactions and reduced wheat intraspecific competition during the entire growing season, leading to improved grain yields and higher grain N uptake.