Tree Genetics and Molecular Breeding 2025, Vol.15, No.4, 161-167 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/tgmb 163 Figure 1 Illustration of benefits of intercropping for crop resilience and crop yields, management of soils, weeds, pests, and pathogens, along with environmental benefits of carbon sequestration and reduction of fossil fuel inputs (Adopted from Huss et al., 2022) 4 Ecological and Environmental Benefits 4.1 Soil improvement: organic matter, nutrients, and microbial activity After intercropping in chestnut forests, the contents of organic matter, available phosphorus and soluble nitrogen in the soil increased significantly. Compared with only growing chestnuts or using herbicides, intercropping can make the soil more fertile and help chestnut trees grow better and bear fruit earlier. For instance, in a garden where chestnuts and tea trees are grown together, the content of organic matter, phosphorus and potassium in the soil is all higher than that in a garden where only chestnuts are grown. Such soil also has more beneficial bacteria, such as Chloroflexi and Bacteroidota, which can help decompose organic matter and release nutrients, making the soil healthier (Wu et al., 2021b). In addition, some bacteria such as Geobacter and Halomonas also occur in the intercropping system and are considered beneficial to the soil as well. 4.2 Microclimate regulation and water retention capacity Intercropping can also stabilize the temperature and humidity in the forest by increasing plants of different layers, thereby alleviating the damage caused by extreme weather to crops. It can also enhance the soil's capacity to store and utilize water and counteract the impacts of climate change such as drought (Huss et al., 2022). However, some studies have also pointed out that in some areas, the soil infiltration rate of chestnut monoculture or chestnut-tea intercropping is not as good as that of mixed forests of multiple trees. This indicates that different intercropping methods have different effects on water retention, and the choice should be based on the actual ecological conditions (Sun et al., 2024).
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