Isoflavonoid accumulation pattern as affected by shading from maize in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in relay strip intercropping system

Soybean is the most common resource of isoflavonoid in human food. Wide development of relay strip intercropped soybean has contributed to the soybean industry in China. Due to the shading from maize, growth and grain production of soybean is reduced. However, whether soybean isoflavonoid accumulation pattern is influenced in the relay strip intercropping system is still unclear. Here, we studied the accumulation patterns of soybean isoflavones in the relay strip intercropping system and sole cropping system at the per-harvest stage. The accumulation patterns of soybean isoflavones at the postharvest stage were also studied. The results indicated that accumulation patterns of soybean isoflavones of all varieties in leaf and seed in the two systems were similar, but the trend was delayed in the relay strip intercropping system compared with the sole cropping system. During the pod filling stage, the total content of isoflavone, M-type isoflavone content, G-type isoflavone content in seed in the relay strip intercropping system were lower than those in the sole cropping system. During the after-ripening period, seed isoflavone content, M-type isoflavone content, G-type isoflavone content in seed increased in both systems, but were higher in the relay strip intercropping system. The temperature and photosynthetically active radiation were significantly lower in relay intercropping than in sole cropping, while relative humidity showed the opposite trend. Path analysis showed that total isoflavone content in leaves and seeds showed a significantly positive correlation with temperature and photosynthetically active radiation, but significantly negative correlation with relative humidity. Correlation analysis between the highest isoflavone content in sole cropping or relay intercropping seeds and agronomic traits revealed a significant positive correlation between the number of both branches and pods with total isoflavone, M-type isoflavone and G-type isoflavone in both systems.