Background and aimsIntercropping is known to have low fertilizer input but high production efficiency. However, only few studies have explored the nutrient stoichiometry of soil and microbiome under intercropping patterns to understand the mechanisms underlying the improvement in crop production by intercropping.MethodsA field-based experiment (started in 2013) was conducted to explore the effects of intercropping of maize with peanut, soybean, gingelly, and sweet potato on soil microbial resource limitation, and the factors controlling the resource limitation were investigated by exploring fu...