Table 5 Effect of different strip-width treatments on grain number, grain weight, grain yields of maize and soybean, and the total grain yield of maize/soybean relay intercropping system in cropping seasons from 2012 to 2013.

Years	Treatments	Grain number (plant⁻¹)		Grain weight (mg)		Grain yield (kg ha⁻¹)		Total grain yield
Years	Treatments	Maize	Soybean	Maize	Soybean	Maize	Soybean	(kg ha⁻¹)
2012	T₁	593.4 ± 11.5a	51.9 ± 1.6c	226.0 ± 6.1b	206.8 ± 3.1 ^NS	8406.3 ± 282.5a	735.7 ± 22.2d	9142.0 ± 261.4b
	T₂	585.0 ± 11.1a	70.2 ± 2.1b	234.0 ± 4.9a	210.8 ± 5.9	8321.5 ± 26.5a	1292.1 ± 73.0b	9613.7 ± 60.4a
	T₃	544.4 ± 12.6b	58.4 ± 1.4c	235.0 ± 7.7a	214.6 ± 5.2	7409.5 ± 122.8b	1058.2 ± 19.6c	8467.8 ± 105.7c
	SS	–	108.1 ± 2.1a	–	220.1 ± 4.5	–	1958.7 ± 80.1a	–
	SM	594.4 ± 15.1a	–	234.0 ± 4.7a	–	8437.7 ± 165.8a	–	–
	LSD (0.05)	27.26	6.59	4.74	19.12	434.18	210.85	423.19
2013	T₁	451.4 ± 7.7 ^NS	71.7 ± 2.0d	222.3 ± 9.6 ^NS	200.1 ± 3.9 ^NS	5799.0 ± 67.0a	1062.8 ± 5.7d	6861.8 ± 61.4a
	T₂	449.7 ± 10.8	89.0 ± 1.6b	226.7 ± 8.3	202.9 ± 6.8	5870.0 ± 78.5a	1375.1 ± 34.6b	7245.1 ± 103.8a
	T₃	429.1 ± 6.7	76.9 ± 2.9c	222.8 ± 5.4	197.6 ± 3.6	5227.0 ± 147.3b	918.9 ± 17.3c	6145.9 ± 155.5b
	SS	–	127.2 ± 2.5a	–	206.9 ± 6.1	–	1521.0 ± 25.8a	–
	SM	460.9 ± 13.2	–	226.2 ± 15.4	–	6069.5 ± 63.4a	–	–
	LSD (0.05)	38.67	2.47	34.73	15.86	354.16	73.30	448.43

Treatment codes represent narrow-strips (T₁, 180 cm); medium-strips (T₂, 200 cm); and wide-strips (T₃, 220 cm) in maize/soybean relay intercropping system. SS is the sole cropping system of soybean, and SM is the sole cropping system of maize. Means are averages over three replicates ± standard error of the mean. Means that do not share the same letters in a column differ significantly at p ≤ 0.05 using least significant differences, calculated separately for each year.
NS non-significant.

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