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    • Figure 1. 

      Comparison analysis of average output benefits under different cropping system. The calculation formula is: Average Output Benefit per Acre = Yield × Price; where Yield represents the physical output per acre obtained from 2019 to 2022; and Price represents the unit market price of the agricultural product in the corresponding year. Production costs were analyzed separately in our study and are not deducted from this specific indicator. We have updated the text to clearly state that this value represents gross income. CK: continuous golden tea monocropping. T: intercropping Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua in golden tea plantations. Student's t-test (* p ≤ 0.05).

    • Figure 2. 

      Comparison of the (a) fresh, and (b) dried tea leaf morphologies under different cropping systems.

    • Figure 3. 

      Comparison analysis of golden tea quality indices under different cropping system. (a) Comparison analysis of caffeine content. (b) Comparison analysis of tea polyphenols content. (c) Comparison analysis of free amino acid (FAA) content. (d) Comparison analysis of tea leaf total potassium (TK). (e) Comparison analysis of tea leaf total nitrogen (TN). (f) Comparison analysis of tea leaf total phosphorus (TP). Three biological replicates per samples were analyzed. CK: continuous golden tea monocropping. T: intercropping Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua in golden tea plantations. Student's T-test (* p ≤ 0.05; ** p ≤ 0.01; *** p ≤ 0.001). Error bars represent mean ± SEM (n = 3).

    • Figure 4. 

      Comparison analysis of soil property indices under different cropping system. (a) Comparison analysis of soil pH. (b) Comparison analysis of soil organic matter content (SOM). (c) Comparison analysis of soil total potassium content. (d) Comparison analysis of soil available potassium content. (e) Comparison analysis of soil total phosphorus content. (f) Comparison analysis of soil available phosphorus content. (g) Comparison analysis of soil total nitrogen content. (h) Comparison analysis of soil hydrolytic nitrogen content. (i) Bioconcentration Factor (BCF-P) leaf/soil phosphorus. (j) Bioconcentration Factor (BCF-N) leaf/soil nitrogen. Three biological replicates per samples were analyzed. CK: continuous golden tea monocropping. T: intercropping Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua in golden tea plantations. Student's t-test (* p ≤ 0.05; ** p ≤ 0.01; *** p ≤ 0.001). Error bars represent mean ± SEM (n = 3).

    • Figure 5. 

      Differential relative abundance of soil bacterial communities. (a) The hierarchical clustering tree at the OUT level. (b) The circus diagram to describe the abundance relationship between samples and species at the phylum level. (c) The Wilcoxon rank-sum test bar plot at the genus level. (d) The COG function classification. (e) The Spearman correlation heatmap between environment factors and soil bacterial communities at the phylum level. (f) The Spearman correlation heatmap between environmental factors and soil bacterial communities at the genus level. C: continuous golden tea monocropping. T: intercropping Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua in golden tea plantations. Three biological replicates per samples were analyzed. Data were expressed as mean ± SE (n = 3). Student's t-test (* p < 0.05; ** p ≤ 0.01).

    • Figure 6. 

      Differential relative abundance of soil fungal communities. (a) The hierarchical clustering tree at the OUT level. (b) The community bar plot analysis at the phylum level. (c) The circus diagram to describe the abundance relationship between samples and species at the genus level. (d) The Spearman correlation heatmap between environment factors and soil fungi communities at the genus level. C: continuous golden tea monocropping. T: intercropping Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua in golden tea plantations. Three biological replicates per sample were analyzed. Data were expressed as mean ± SE (n = 3). Student's t-test (* p ≤ 0.05; ** p ≤ 0.01).

    • Figure 7. 

      Schematic diagram of monoculture and intercropping. (a) Monoculture of golden tea. (b) Intercropping of polygonatum cyrtonema Hua and golden tea.