Belowground and aboveground interactions are important in increasing yield and nutrient-use efficiency in intercropping. However, how the yield and P-use efficiency respond to shoot-root interactions in intercropping remains unknown. Maize in mono- and intercropping was grown under field conditions (regosol soil, initial Olsen-P 12.6 mg kg⁻¹) with P supply of 0 and 35 kg P ha yr^-1 (P0 and P35, respectively) for 3 years. Compared with monocropping, intercropping significantly increased grain yield (by 13.9 %) and plant P-use efficiency (45.1 %), which might be attributed to increasing light interception during the post-silking period. Both sufficient P supply (P35 treatment) and increased light interception delayed leaf senescence through minimizing the degradation of chlorophyll and remobilisation of P as well as increasing the expression of ZmSee2β gene that influences leaf longevity. Increased light interception associated with enhanced leaf longevity increased the duration of photosynthesis, which provided assimilates not only for achieving yield potential, but also for maintaining root growth. It is suggested that sucrose translocated to roots serves as a substrate for root growth and improves P uptake to satisfy the nutrient demand of expanding shoots. This work contributed to understanding of the resource-use efficiency in intercropping as regulated by shoot-root interactions.

地下和地上的相互作用对于提高间作的产量和养分利用效率很重要。然而，在间作中，产量和磷素利用效率如何响应枝根相互作用。单作和间作的玉米在田间条件下（雷戈索尔土壤，初始Olsen-P 12.6 mg kg ^-1）生长，供磷量为0和35 kg P ha yr ^-1（分别为P0和P35）3年。与单作相比，间作显着提高了谷物产量（提高了13.9％）和植物磷的利用效率（45.1％），这可能归因于后生长期的光拦截。足够的磷供应（P35处理）和增加的光拦截作用，通过最大程度地减少叶绿素的降解和磷的迁移以及增加ZmSee2β的表达，延迟了叶片的衰老。影响叶片寿命的基因。与增加叶片寿命有关的增加的光拦截增加了光合作用的持续时间，这不仅为获得潜在的产量提供了同化作用，而且为保持根的生长提供了同化作用。建议将蔗糖转移到根部作为根部生长的底物，并提高对磷的吸收，以满足扩展芽的营养需求。这项工作有助于理解间作间根系间的资源利用效率。