Belowground Interaction in Tea/Soybean Intercropping Enhances Tea Quality by Improving Soil Nutrient Dynamics
Although tea (<i>Camellia sinensis</i>)/soybean (<i>Glycine max</i>) intercropping is widely applied in tea gardens, the underlying mechanisms driving tea quality promotion remain largely unclear. This study explores the effects of intercropping on tea quality, soil nutrient...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/11/1691 |
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| author | Tianqi Wang Xiaoyu Mu Erdong Ni Qinwen Wang Shuyue Li Jingying Mao Dandan Qing Bo Li Yuan Chen Wenjie Chen Cuiyue Liang Hualing Wu Xing Lu Jiang Tian |
| author_facet | Tianqi Wang Xiaoyu Mu Erdong Ni Qinwen Wang Shuyue Li Jingying Mao Dandan Qing Bo Li Yuan Chen Wenjie Chen Cuiyue Liang Hualing Wu Xing Lu Jiang Tian |
| author_sort | Tianqi Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although tea (<i>Camellia sinensis</i>)/soybean (<i>Glycine max</i>) intercropping is widely applied in tea gardens, the underlying mechanisms driving tea quality promotion remain largely unclear. This study explores the effects of intercropping on tea quality, soil nutrient availability, and soybean growth and analyzes their mutual relationship. Field experiments revealed that intercropping increased tea leaf water extracts, polyphenols, and amino acids by 4.36–8.99%, 14.76–15.23%, and 14.73–16.36%, respectively, across two growth stages. Furthermore, intercropping boosted organic matter, available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in the tea rhizosphere. Enzyme activities, including acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, urease, and β-glucosidase, were also elevated in tea/soybean intercropping. In soybean, shoot and root biomass, weight and number of nodules, and N, P, and K content increased over cultivation time. Correlation analysis showed that tea water extracts and polyphenols were positively linked to soil available P and alkaline phosphatase activities. Soybean root and nodule growth were correlated with soil N and P activation and tea water extracts, indicating that soybean-mediated underground interactions drive mineral nutrient mobilization in rhizosphere, further improving tea quality. This study provides mechanistic insights into tea/soybean intercropping, offering practical implications for sustainable tea cultivation practices. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1de0826a4ff64bb9b2a5517790dcc451 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-1de0826a4ff64bb9b2a5517790dcc4512025-08-20T02:23:07ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-05-011411169110.3390/plants14111691Belowground Interaction in Tea/Soybean Intercropping Enhances Tea Quality by Improving Soil Nutrient DynamicsTianqi Wang0Xiaoyu Mu1Erdong Ni2Qinwen Wang3Shuyue Li4Jingying Mao5Dandan Qing6Bo Li7Yuan Chen8Wenjie Chen9Cuiyue Liang10Hualing Wu11Xing Lu12Jiang Tian13Root Biology Center, College of Natural Resource and Environment, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Low Carbon Agricultural Green Inputs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaRoot Biology Center, College of Natural Resource and Environment, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Low Carbon Agricultural Green Inputs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaTea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, ChinaRoot Biology Center, College of Natural Resource and Environment, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Low Carbon Agricultural Green Inputs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaRoot Biology Center, College of Natural Resource and Environment, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Low Carbon Agricultural Green Inputs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaRoot Biology Center, College of Natural Resource and Environment, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Low Carbon Agricultural Green Inputs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaTea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, ChinaTea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, ChinaGrape and Wine Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, ChinaCash Crops Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, ChinaRoot Biology Center, College of Natural Resource and Environment, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Low Carbon Agricultural Green Inputs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaTea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, ChinaRoot Biology Center, College of Natural Resource and Environment, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Low Carbon Agricultural Green Inputs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaRoot Biology Center, College of Natural Resource and Environment, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Low Carbon Agricultural Green Inputs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaAlthough tea (<i>Camellia sinensis</i>)/soybean (<i>Glycine max</i>) intercropping is widely applied in tea gardens, the underlying mechanisms driving tea quality promotion remain largely unclear. This study explores the effects of intercropping on tea quality, soil nutrient availability, and soybean growth and analyzes their mutual relationship. Field experiments revealed that intercropping increased tea leaf water extracts, polyphenols, and amino acids by 4.36–8.99%, 14.76–15.23%, and 14.73–16.36%, respectively, across two growth stages. Furthermore, intercropping boosted organic matter, available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in the tea rhizosphere. Enzyme activities, including acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, urease, and β-glucosidase, were also elevated in tea/soybean intercropping. In soybean, shoot and root biomass, weight and number of nodules, and N, P, and K content increased over cultivation time. Correlation analysis showed that tea water extracts and polyphenols were positively linked to soil available P and alkaline phosphatase activities. Soybean root and nodule growth were correlated with soil N and P activation and tea water extracts, indicating that soybean-mediated underground interactions drive mineral nutrient mobilization in rhizosphere, further improving tea quality. This study provides mechanistic insights into tea/soybean intercropping, offering practical implications for sustainable tea cultivation practices.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/11/1691tea/soybean intercroppingtea qualitysoil fertilitysoil enzyme activitybelowground interactions |
| spellingShingle | Tianqi Wang Xiaoyu Mu Erdong Ni Qinwen Wang Shuyue Li Jingying Mao Dandan Qing Bo Li Yuan Chen Wenjie Chen Cuiyue Liang Hualing Wu Xing Lu Jiang Tian Belowground Interaction in Tea/Soybean Intercropping Enhances Tea Quality by Improving Soil Nutrient Dynamics Plants tea/soybean intercropping tea quality soil fertility soil enzyme activity belowground interactions |
| title | Belowground Interaction in Tea/Soybean Intercropping Enhances Tea Quality by Improving Soil Nutrient Dynamics |
| title_full | Belowground Interaction in Tea/Soybean Intercropping Enhances Tea Quality by Improving Soil Nutrient Dynamics |
| title_fullStr | Belowground Interaction in Tea/Soybean Intercropping Enhances Tea Quality by Improving Soil Nutrient Dynamics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Belowground Interaction in Tea/Soybean Intercropping Enhances Tea Quality by Improving Soil Nutrient Dynamics |
| title_short | Belowground Interaction in Tea/Soybean Intercropping Enhances Tea Quality by Improving Soil Nutrient Dynamics |
| title_sort | belowground interaction in tea soybean intercropping enhances tea quality by improving soil nutrient dynamics |
| topic | tea/soybean intercropping tea quality soil fertility soil enzyme activity belowground interactions |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/11/1691 |
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