Modern agriculture has been focused on optimizing production, neglecting supporting and regulating ecosystem services. Meta-analyses have demonstrated the potential of intercropping to deliver multiple ecosystem services. However, guidelines for the design and management of such systems remain unclear, especially for the understudied vegetable-based intercropping systems. Given the diversity of vegetable crops, we propose a ‘relay’ of classical crop-specific meta-analyses to capitalize on vegetable intercropping research. Each ‘leg’ in the relay analyzes the effects of companion crops on a focal crop, and over the course of subsequent legs, the network of interactions among the different crops is built. In this study we start what we aspire to be the meta-analysis relay, focusing on cabbage (Brassica oleracea ssp.) and the delivery of the provisioning services Productivity, Product Quality (grade and pest injury in cabbage products), and Yield Stability across different companion species, spatio-temporal configurations, and management practices. We identified 76 studies from all inhabited continents across 81 field sites, comprising 892 data records, of which 689 remained after cleaning. We show that intercropping reduced cabbage productivity (−7% on average, P < 0.05) but also pest injury (−48%, P < 0.001) relative to sole cabbage systems. Cabbage grade on the contrary was not significantly improved by intercropping (+1%, P = 0.71). Effects on yield stability varied widely as only few data records were available from trials conducted over more than two years, pointing to the need for longer-term experimentation. Greater productivity was associated with companion species with a low growth habit or types sown at or after planting of the cabbage crop thus limiting competition with cabbage at early development stages. The decrease in pest injuries was associated with intercropping patterns involving strong inter-plant interactions (i.e., mixed, row, and additive) and companion species that supported biodiversity such as living mulches. Overall, beneficial effects of intercropping tended to be more evident in organic production systems, possibly because synthetic inputs may have hidden regulating effects. Cabbage growers and agricultural advisors can use these guidelines when designing intercrop systems specific to their needs. Applying the approach to other crops and agro-ecosystem services as part of the proposed meta-analysis relay will foster comprehensive understanding of vegetable intercropping systems interactions.

现代农业一直注重优化生产，忽视支持和调节生态系统服务。荟萃分析证明了间作提供多种生态系统服务的潜力。然而，此类系统的设计和管理指南仍不明确，尤其是对于未被充分研究的以蔬菜为基础的间作系统。鉴于蔬菜作物的多样性，我们提出了经典作物特定荟萃分析的“中继”，以利用蔬菜间作研究。接力赛中的每个“腿”都会分析伴生作物对焦点作物的影响，并在后续腿的过程中，建立不同作物之间的相互作用网络。在这项研究中，我们开始了我们渴望成为荟萃分析中继，重点关注卷心菜（Brassica oleraceassp.) 和供应服务的交付 生产力、产品质量（卷心菜产品的等级和害虫伤害）以及跨不同伴侣物种、时空配置和管理实践的产量稳定性。我们在 81 个实地考察点确定了来自所有有人居住大陆的 76 项研究，包括 892 条数据记录，其中 689 条在清理后仍然存在。 我们表明，相对于单独的卷心菜系统，间作降低了卷心菜的生产力（平均 -7%，P < 0.05），但也降低了害虫伤害（-48%，P < 0.001）。相反，间作并没有显着提高卷心菜的等级（+1%，P = 0.71）。对产量稳定性的影响差异很大，因为两年多来进行的试验中只有很少的数据记录可用，这表明需要进行更长期的试验。更高的生产力与生长习性低的伴生物种或在种植卷心菜作物时或之后播种的类型有关，从而限制了在早期发育阶段与卷心菜的竞争。害虫伤害的减少与间作模式有关，涉及强烈的植物间相互作用（即混合、行和添加）和支持生物多样性的伴生物种，如活覆盖物。总体而言，间作的有益效果往往在有机生产系统中更为明显，这可能是因为合成投入可能具有隐藏的调节作用。卷心菜种植者和农业顾问在设计满足其特定需求的间作系统时可以使用这些指南。将该方法应用于其他作物和农业生态系统服务，作为拟议的荟萃分析中继的一部分，将促进对蔬菜间作系统相互作用的全面理解。