“…Compared with sole crops, intercrops have great potential to improve yields and enhance land use efficiency ( Yang et al, 2019 ; Li et al, 2020 , 2021a , b ; Weih et al, 2021 ). Additionally, legume–cereal intercrops can provide ecosystem services, such as (i) improved resource use efficiency ( Li et al, 2021b ; Zhang et al, 2021 ), particularly for nitrogen ( Jensen, 1996 ; Bedoussac and Justes, 2010a ; Naudin et al, 2010 ), (ii) greater biodiversity, including beneficial insects ( Brandmeier et al, 2021 ); (iii) pest and pathogen regulation ( Finckh and Wolfe, 2015 ; Zhang et al, 2019 ; Finckh et al, 2021 ); (iv) enhanced soil health ( Yang et al, 2019 ; Uwase et al, 2021 ; Zhang et al, 2021 ); and (v) healthy and nutritious food products ( Dwivedi et al, 2017 ). Although legume-based intercrops are not practiced widely in modern farming systems, they can contribute toward national and EU policy targets for reducing pesticide use, minimizing fertilizer losses, reversing biodiversity declines, and delivering secure and resilient food systems ( Iannetta et al, 2021 ).…”