In ecological or sustainable intensification, increasing the agricultural productivity and enhancing ecosystem services is possible through improving resource and input-use efficiency. In order to estimate the radiation use efficiency and radiation interception of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) under different treatments of animal manure, a completely randomized block design with three replications and four treatments was conducted on the research farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Treatments at four levels including 15, 20, 25 and 30 tons of animal manure per hectare were designed. The results showed that the growing season of Fenugreek was coincident with absorbed radiation by canopy, so the time to reach the maximum leaf area index was in accordance with the time to reach the maximum incident radiation by canopy of Fenugreek. The lowest leaf area index (0.22) and radiation use efficiency (1.42 g Mj-1) was obtained with the application of 15 ton ha-1 animal manure and highest leaf area index (0.30). And radiation use efficiency (1.74 g Mj-1) was obtained with the application of 25 ton ha-1 animal manure. The results also indicated that increasing the animal manure enhanced leaf area index and consequently radiation use efficiency, but this advantage was seen only up to a certain level of animal manure application (25 ton ha-1). Thus, sustainable intensification is attainable in a low input agro-ecosystem by improving radiation use efficiency as an appropriate indicator and without any application of additive manure.

Keywords: Animal manure, Leaf area index, Light absorption, Radiation.

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