Effects of root partition and planting patterns on the roots distribution of maize and pea population and nodulation of pea root

Three planting pattern and three root partition barriers were used to investigate the root distribution of maize and pea population and nodulation of pea root. This study showed that the root weight of intercropping maize and peas was significantly bigger than that of monoculture maize and their root distributions also were different. In the intercropping system of maize and peas, the nodulation number and weight of pea root without partition barrier was bigger than those of pea root with partition barrier, and increased by 29.63% and 48.21%. The nodulation weight of pea root without root partition barrier and with partition barrier using nylon was bigger than that of monoculture maize. In the same intercropping system, the increasingly strong competition among root system increased the nodulation number.