Exogenous Melatonin Application Improves Shade Tolerance and Growth Performance of Soybean Under Maize–Soybean Intercropping Systems
2025
Dan Jia | Ziqing Meng | Shiqiang Hu | Jamal Nasar | Zeqiang Shao | Xiuzhi Zhang | Bakht Amin | Muhammad Arif | Harun Gitari
Maize&ndash:soybean intercropping is widely practised to improve land use efficiency, but shading from maize often limits soybean growth and productivity. Melatonin, a plant signaling molecule with antioxidant and growth-regulating properties, has shown potential in mitigating various abiotic stresses, including low light. This study investigated the efficacy of applying foliar melatonin (MT) to enhance shade tolerance and yield performance of soybean under intercropping. Four melatonin concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 150 µ:M) were applied to soybean grown under mono- and intercropping systems. The results showed that intercropping significantly reduced growth, photosynthetic activity, and yield-related traits. However, the MT application, particularly at 100 µ:M (MT100), effectively mitigated these declines. MT100 improved plant height (by up to 32%), leaf area (8%), internode length (up to 41%), grain yield (32%), and biomass dry matter (30%) compared to untreated intercropped plants. It also enhanced SPAD chlorophyll values, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters such as Photosystem II efficiency (ɸ:PSII), maximum PSII quantum yield (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching (qp), electron transport rate (ETR), Rubisco activity, and soluble protein content. These findings suggest that foliar application of melatonin, especially at 100 µ:M, can improve shade resilience in soybean by enhancing physiological and biochemical performance, offering a practical strategy for optimizing productivity in intercropping systems.
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