Peanut and cotton intercropping increases productivity and economic returns through regulating plant nutrient accumulation and soil microbial communities

Table 4 LER for peanut and cotton in different root barrier treatments and positions

Treatment	PingDu			GaoTang			LiJin
Treatment	LERp	LERc	LER	LERp	LERc	LER	LERp	LERc	LER
IC	0.43a	0.81a	1.24a	0.45a	0.83a	1.28a	0.42a	0.79a	1.21a
NC	0.39b	0.67b	1.06b	0.40b	0.73b	1.13b	0.38b	0.71b	1.09b
SC	0.37b	0.64c	1.01c	0.38b	0.69c	1.07c	0.36b	0.68c	1.04c

Means denoted by different letters within the same column indicate significant differences according to Tukey’s test (P < 0.05); IC: intercropping of peanut and cotton without barriers; NC: intercropping of peanut/cotton with 100 μm nylon mesh barrier; SC: intercropping of peanut/cotton with solid barrier; LERp denotes partial LER for peanut; LERc denotes partial LER for cotton

ISSN: 1471-2229