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Maize and wheat are globally important food crops. The two species can be grown as an intercrop, with substantial land sparing in the order of 20 %, as expressed by a land equivalent ratio of ~1.2. Here, we study nutrient uptake and the photosynthesis rate of intercropped maize and show that nutrient uptake is constrained by competition with wheat, while the photosynthesis rate is not decreased, but—surprisingly—increased. Ecophysiological mechanisms potentially underlying the unexpected high photosynthesis rate in intercropped maize are discussed.

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