Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Plant and soil |
| Early online date | 1 Aug 2025 |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 1 Aug 2025 |
Abstract
Background: Crop diversification practices, such as legume-cereal intercropping, are receiving increasing attention for the large-scale implementation because of crop yield advantages while simultaneously preserving various soil functions. To date, a comprehensive understanding of the soil nutrient and carbon (C) cycling and microbial dynamics underlying the crop yield advantage remains elusive. Scope: This review employs legume-cereal intercropping systems as a model to examine the current knowledge on the modulation of soil nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and C biogeochemistry resulting from the co-cultivation of these crops. This analysis emphasizes the functional potential of the soil microbiome and the plant-induced assemblage of microbial communities, highlighting key knowledge gaps. Drawing from this examination, we suggest expanding the traditional Plant-Soil Feedback (PSF) definition to encompass hetero- and conspecific effects occurring within a single growing season. We define this concept as Contemporary Plant-Soil Feedback (CPSF). Conclusions: Our analysis revealed consistent plant-induced changes in the performance and nutrient acquisition of neighboring plants, an effect that would be inadequately classified without this new framework. The examination of the CPSF in legume-cereal intercropping systems demonstrated that yield advantages are supported by more efficient N and C cycling, enhanced P and K availability, and improved maintenance of microbial functionality. This approach offers a novel perspective for investigating plant-soil dynamics in agricultural systems.
Keywords
- Carbon use efficiency, Multi-cropping systems, Plant-soil feedback, Soil microbial assemblages, Soil multifunctionality, Soil nutrient and carbon cycling
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Soil Science
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Plant Science
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In: Plant and soil, 01.08.2025.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The contemporary plant-soil feedback in legume-cereal intercropping systems
T2 - a review of carbon, nutrient, and microbial dynamics
AU - Picone, Riccardo
AU - Pietramellara, Giacomo
AU - Guggenberger, Georg
AU - Pathan, Shamina Imran
AU - Gentsch, Norman
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.
PY - 2025/8/1
Y1 - 2025/8/1
N2 - Background: Crop diversification practices, such as legume-cereal intercropping, are receiving increasing attention for the large-scale implementation because of crop yield advantages while simultaneously preserving various soil functions. To date, a comprehensive understanding of the soil nutrient and carbon (C) cycling and microbial dynamics underlying the crop yield advantage remains elusive. Scope: This review employs legume-cereal intercropping systems as a model to examine the current knowledge on the modulation of soil nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and C biogeochemistry resulting from the co-cultivation of these crops. This analysis emphasizes the functional potential of the soil microbiome and the plant-induced assemblage of microbial communities, highlighting key knowledge gaps. Drawing from this examination, we suggest expanding the traditional Plant-Soil Feedback (PSF) definition to encompass hetero- and conspecific effects occurring within a single growing season. We define this concept as Contemporary Plant-Soil Feedback (CPSF). Conclusions: Our analysis revealed consistent plant-induced changes in the performance and nutrient acquisition of neighboring plants, an effect that would be inadequately classified without this new framework. The examination of the CPSF in legume-cereal intercropping systems demonstrated that yield advantages are supported by more efficient N and C cycling, enhanced P and K availability, and improved maintenance of microbial functionality. This approach offers a novel perspective for investigating plant-soil dynamics in agricultural systems.
AB - Background: Crop diversification practices, such as legume-cereal intercropping, are receiving increasing attention for the large-scale implementation because of crop yield advantages while simultaneously preserving various soil functions. To date, a comprehensive understanding of the soil nutrient and carbon (C) cycling and microbial dynamics underlying the crop yield advantage remains elusive. Scope: This review employs legume-cereal intercropping systems as a model to examine the current knowledge on the modulation of soil nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and C biogeochemistry resulting from the co-cultivation of these crops. This analysis emphasizes the functional potential of the soil microbiome and the plant-induced assemblage of microbial communities, highlighting key knowledge gaps. Drawing from this examination, we suggest expanding the traditional Plant-Soil Feedback (PSF) definition to encompass hetero- and conspecific effects occurring within a single growing season. We define this concept as Contemporary Plant-Soil Feedback (CPSF). Conclusions: Our analysis revealed consistent plant-induced changes in the performance and nutrient acquisition of neighboring plants, an effect that would be inadequately classified without this new framework. The examination of the CPSF in legume-cereal intercropping systems demonstrated that yield advantages are supported by more efficient N and C cycling, enhanced P and K availability, and improved maintenance of microbial functionality. This approach offers a novel perspective for investigating plant-soil dynamics in agricultural systems.
KW - Carbon use efficiency
KW - Multi-cropping systems
KW - Plant-soil feedback
KW - Soil microbial assemblages
KW - Soil multifunctionality
KW - Soil nutrient and carbon cycling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105012360505&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11104-025-07723-w
DO - 10.1007/s11104-025-07723-w
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:105012360505
JO - Plant and soil
JF - Plant and soil
SN - 0032-079X
ER -