Maize edible-legumes intercropping systems for enhancing agrobiodiversity and belowground ecosystem services.

ABSTRACT: Intensification of staple crops through conventional agricultural practices with chemical synthetic inputs has yielded positive outcomes in food security but with negative environmental impacts. Ecological intensification using cropping systems such as maize edible-legume intercropping (MLI) systems has the potential to enhance soil health, agrobiodiversity and significantly influence crop productivity. However, mechanisms underlying enhancement of biological soil health have not been well studied. This study investigated the shifts in rhizospheric soil and maize-root microbiomes and associated soil physico-chemical parameters in MLI systems of smallholder farms in comparison to maize-monoculture cropping systems (MMC). Maize-root and rhizospheric soil samples were collected from twenty-fi

SUBMITTER: Jalloh AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11192945 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature