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Maize Relay Intercropping with Tobacco Enhances Soil Buffering Capacity and Maintains Yield Under Continuous Cropping
Qingyao Xu1, Xiaopeng Deng2, Wengang Duan1
1Tobacco College, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 13, 2026
Summary
Maize relay intercropping with tobacco (TIM) improved tobacco growth and soil health, boosting beneficial microbes and creating a positive soil legacy effect. This sustainable practice enhances crop yield and soil quality.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Soil Science
- Microbiology
Background:
- Tobacco monoculture (TM) can deplete soil resources and negatively impact crop health.
- Intercropping systems offer potential for improved soil microenvironment and crop performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of maize relay intercropping with tobacco (TIM) versus tobacco monoculture (TM) on tobacco growth and the rhizosphere microenvironment.
- To understand the impact of intercropping on soil microbial communities and metabolic profiles.
Main Methods:
- Two-year field experiment comparing TM and TIM.
- Analysis of tobacco growth parameters, leaf nutrient content, and soil properties.
- Soil microbial diversity (α-diversity) and community structure analysis.
- Metabolomic profiling of soil samples.
- Statistical analyses including Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM) and Mantel tests.
Main Results:
- TIM significantly increased tobacco plant height and leaf length without yield reduction.
- Leaf chloride content increased but remained within high-quality ranges; relay-cropped maize yielded substantial economic returns.
- TIM temporarily reduced soil organic matter and available potassium but increased soil enzyme activities (acid phosphatase, peroxidase, urease).
- Soil bacterial α-diversity increased, with enrichment of beneficial genera; metabolomics revealed shifts in key pathways.
- Maize relay cropping induced a soil legacy effect, promoting microbially mediated nutrient buffering.
Conclusions:
- Maize relay intercropping with tobacco is a sustainable agricultural practice that enhances tobacco growth and improves the soil rhizosphere microenvironment.
- The intercropping system shifts soil function from direct nutrient competition to microbially mediated nutrient cycling, creating a beneficial legacy effect.
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