Climate-smart intercropping for sustainable agriculture

The selected intercropping system can offer a powerful solution to regenerate soils, and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with enhanced crop yield. Yet, the targeted intercropping system and its mitigating mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we synthesized recent advances revealing how plant–plant interactions in intercropping systems modulate rhizosphere processes, alter microbial networks, reshape nutrient cycling and mitigate GHG emissions. In particular, legume–cereal combinations can reduce N₂O and CO₂ emissions via., stimulation of metabolite-rich root exudates, and activation of beneficial microbial guilds with enhanced nitrogen use efficiency. Intercropping also suppresses CH₄ fluxes by improving soil aeration and redox stability. A central, yet underexplored, mechanism is the role of rhizosphere metabolites in coordinating microbial assembly and nitrogen transformations that govern GHG dynamics. By reshaping belowground biodiversity, these biochemical exchanges act as regulatory nodes linking plant function to atmospheric outcomes. These biogeochemical effects are context-dependent, governed by soil pH, moisture, temperature, and microbial composition. Beyond emissions mitigation, intercropping strengthens yield stability and agroecosystem functioning via., above–belowground feedback. This work highlights critical knowledge gaps in long-term soil carbon dynamics, root–microbiome signaling processes, and the scalability and resilience of these systems under future climate change scenarios. As a systems-level intervention, intercropping exemplifies the potential of biodiversity-based intensification to reconcile productivity, climate goals, and soil health.