Fig. 2: Water and P-deficiency impacts on intercropped plants and root bacteria.

Schematic illustration of the effect of water and P-deficiencies on intercropped plants’ above- and below-ground processes. Upward and downward arrows represent the stimulation versus the repression of the plant’s physiological, morphological, and biochemical processes, respectively. Structural and functional diversity of root associated bacteria shows a negative response to both stressors. Of note, both stressors along with root exudates from intercropped species, favor the selection of resilient microbial species. This figure was created using BioRender.com.