Root Exudates from Areca catechu L. Intercropping System Promote Nutrient Uptake and Sustainable Production of Piper nigrum L

Li, Zhiyuan; Zhao, Yaqi; Zu, Chao; Li, Zhigang; Zheng, Weiquan; Yu, Huan; Gao, Shengfeng; Liu, Shichao; Zhang, Baogui; Wang, Xinxin; Wang, Can; Yang, Jianfeng

doi:10.3390/agronomy15020355

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Open AccessArticle

Root Exudates from Areca catechu L. Intercropping System Promote Nutrient Uptake and Sustainable Production of Piper nigrum L

by

Zhiyuan Li

^1,2,†,

Yaqi Zhao

^3,4,†,

Chao Zu

^3,5,6,

Zhigang Li

^3,5,6,

Weiquan Zheng

^3,5,6,

Huan Yu

^3,5,6,

Shengfeng Gao

^3,5,6,

Shichao Liu

^3,5,6,

Baogui Zhang

⁴,

Xinxin Wang

⁷,

Can Wang

^3,5,6,* and

Jianfeng Yang

^3,5,6,*

¹

Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China

²

College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China

³

Spice and Beverage Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Science, Wanning 571533, China

⁴

College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China

⁵

Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources Utilization of Spice and Beverage Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Wanning 571533, China

⁶

Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement and Quality Regulation for Tropical Spice and Beverage Crops, Wanning 571533, China

⁷

College of Horticulture, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Agronomy 2025, 15(2), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020355

Submission received: 2 January 2025 / Revised: 27 January 2025 / Accepted: 28 January 2025 / Published: 29 January 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Innovative Cropping Systems)

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Abstract

Piper nigrum–Areca catechu intercropping mitigates soil problems related to continuous P. nigrum cropping, but the exact reason for this is not clear. In this study, the intercropping system increased P. nigrum’s single plant weight by 27.0–55.5% and unit yield per hectare by 5.1–33.5% in 2019–2022. Intercropping altered the metabolic profiles of root exudates from both species, with increases in flavonoids (epicatechin and 4′,5,6,7-Tetramethoxyflavone), alkaloids (litebamine), and amino acids (proline betaine, L-homocysteic acid and L-homocysteic acid). Intercropping further increased the abundance of dominant soil bacteria, including GAL15 (354.9%) and Bacteroidota (70.4%) in the P. nigrum rhizosphere, and Firmicutes (141.8%) and WPS2 (75.3%) in the A. catechu rhizosphere. In the intercropping system, the abundance of soil flavonoids, including tangeritin, trifolirhizin, and hexamethylquercetagetin, which participated in improving nutrient absorption and plant growth, increased by 106.4~356.0%, 28.9~45.5%, and 45.2~127.1%, respectively, during the whole growing period. Overall, intercropping with A. catechu promoted carbon input to the P. nigrum soil via root exudates. This increased the diversity of P. nigrum rhizosphere beneficial bacterial communities, as well as the amounts of nutrients and plant growth-promoting secondary metabolites. Together, these effects improved nutrient uptake and utilization, thereby driving the sustainable production of P. nigrum, and ultimately achieving higher yields.

Keywords: intercropping; root exudates; bacterial community; soil metabolites; mineral nutrients

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MDPI and ACS Style

Li, Z.; Zhao, Y.; Zu, C.; Li, Z.; Zheng, W.; Yu, H.; Gao, S.; Liu, S.; Zhang, B.; Wang, X.; et al. Root Exudates from Areca catechu L. Intercropping System Promote Nutrient Uptake and Sustainable Production of Piper nigrum L. Agronomy 2025, 15, 355. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020355

AMA Style

Li Z, Zhao Y, Zu C, Li Z, Zheng W, Yu H, Gao S, Liu S, Zhang B, Wang X, et al. Root Exudates from Areca catechu L. Intercropping System Promote Nutrient Uptake and Sustainable Production of Piper nigrum L. Agronomy. 2025; 15(2):355. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020355

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Zhiyuan, Yaqi Zhao, Chao Zu, Zhigang Li, Weiquan Zheng, Huan Yu, Shengfeng Gao, Shichao Liu, Baogui Zhang, Xinxin Wang, and et al. 2025. "Root Exudates from Areca catechu L. Intercropping System Promote Nutrient Uptake and Sustainable Production of Piper nigrum L" Agronomy 15, no. 2: 355. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020355

APA Style

Li, Z., Zhao, Y., Zu, C., Li, Z., Zheng, W., Yu, H., Gao, S., Liu, S., Zhang, B., Wang, X., Wang, C., & Yang, J. (2025). Root Exudates from Areca catechu L. Intercropping System Promote Nutrient Uptake and Sustainable Production of Piper nigrum L. Agronomy, 15(2), 355. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020355

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Root Exudates from Areca catechu L. Intercropping System Promote Nutrient Uptake and Sustainable Production of Piper nigrum L

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