Dissecting the phenotypic and genetic determinants of maize–bean interactions in intercropping
Abstract
Cereal-legume intercropping is a cornerstone of agroecological systems because interactions between species can enhance agroecosystem resilience. Yet, the mechanisms underlying these interactions remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we investigated the maize-bean association under low-input conditions. We conducted a two-year intercropping experiment with 200 climbing bean lines grown alongside three maize landraces in France and Romania. We evaluated bean phenotypic responses above-and below-ground to 3 maize landraces, treated as distinct biotic environments (E). Direct and indirect genetic effects were assessed by mapping bean and maize phenotypic traits onto the bean genome (G), with G × E interactions tested using contrasts among maize landraces. Competitive interactions dominated, maize acting as the stronger competitor. Maize landraces created distinct biotic environments affecting bean traits. Best-performing partners varied across experimental fields, with no evidence of bean local adaptation. The most productive and balanced mixtures were obtained with the traditionally intercropped maize landrace. Genome wide association analyses identified loci underlying direct and indirect genetic effects, including candidate genes associated with neighbor perception. These findings reveal the genetic complexity of maize-bean interactions and highlight competitive tolerance in bean and reduced aggressiveness in maize as key traits for improving cereal-legume intercrop performance.
Related
- The OMM 12 mice: a decade of dissecting host-microbiome interactions
- Dissecting the genetic basis of yield stability in faba bean by multi-environment analysis
- Dissecting the genetic basis of rice husk silica content and morphology using GWAS.
- Dissecting the genetic basis of DUS characters in Pakistani wheat varieties
- Dissecting Genetic Variability and Multi-Trait Performance in Cucumber
BibTeX
@misc{vazeuxblumental2026dissecting,
title = {{Dissecting the phenotypic and genetic determinants of maize–bean interactions in intercropping}},
author = {Noa Vazeux-Blumental and Carine Palaffre and Creola Brezeanu and Petre M Brezeanu and Bernard Lagardère and Cyril Bauland and James Burridge and Pablo Affortit and Alexandre Grondin and Marzia Rossato and Andrea Benazzo and Tristan Mary-Huard and Laurence Moreau and Roberto Papa and Elisa Bellucci and Elena Bitocchi and Filippo Servalli and Laurent Laplaze and Domenica Manicacci and Maud I Tenaillon},
howpublished = {HAL},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.64898/2026.07.28.741233},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05848334v1},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Dissecting the phenotypic and genetic determinants of maize–bean interactions in intercropping
AU - Noa Vazeux-Blumental
AU - Carine Palaffre
AU - Creola Brezeanu
AU - Petre M Brezeanu
AU - Bernard Lagardère
AU - Cyril Bauland
AU - James Burridge
AU - Pablo Affortit
AU - Alexandre Grondin
AU - Marzia Rossato
AU - Andrea Benazzo
AU - Tristan Mary-Huard
AU - Laurence Moreau
AU - Roberto Papa
AU - Elisa Bellucci
AU - Elena Bitocchi
AU - Filippo Servalli
AU - Laurent Laplaze
AU - Domenica Manicacci
AU - Maud I Tenaillon
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/28
PB - HAL
DO - 10.64898/2026.07.28.741233
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05848334v1
AB - Cereal-legume intercropping is a cornerstone of agroecological systems because interactions between species can enhance agroecosystem resilience. Yet, the mechanisms underlying these interactions remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we investigated the maize-bean association under low-input conditions. We conducted a two-year intercropping experiment with 200 climbing bean lines grown alongside three maize landraces in France and Romania. We evaluated bean phenotypic responses above-and below-ground to 3 maize landraces, treated as distinct biotic environments (E). Direct and indirect genetic effects were assessed by mapping bean and maize phenotypic traits onto the bean genome (G), with G × E interactions tested using contrasts among maize landraces. Competitive interactions dominated, maize acting as the stronger competitor. Maize landraces created distinct biotic environments affecting bean traits. Best-performing partners varied across experimental fields, with no evidence of bean local adaptation. The most productive and balanced mixtures were obtained with the traditionally intercropped maize landrace. Genome wide association analyses identified loci underlying direct and indirect genetic effects, including candidate genes associated with neighbor perception. These findings reveal the genetic complexity of maize-bean interactions and highlight competitive tolerance in bean and reduced aggressiveness in maize as key traits for improving cereal-legume intercrop performance.
ER -