Niche-specific maize microbiomes enhance productivity and nitrogen uptake under intercropping.

ABSTRACT: Intercropping is widely used to improve crop yield, but the microbial mechanisms driving biomass and nitrogen (N) gains remain unclear. In a maize-soybean intercropping system, we compared intercropped and monocultured maize to investigate niche-specific microbial processes. At the tasseling stage, bacterial and fungal communities were profiled across above- and belowground maize compartments and linked to organ-level biomass and N content. We found that intercropping significantly enhanced maize total biomass and nitrogen uptake, due to the greater increase in roots and leaves. The intercropping also restructured bacterial and fungal communities in a niche-specific manner: bacterial diversity declined in the phylloplane and root, leaf endospheres, whereas fungal diversity increased in the

SUBMITTER: Chang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12852346 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature