In a study on maize and soybean intercropping, researchers looked at how different levels of phosphorus affected root growth and phosphorus uptake. They found that intercropping changed the root structure of both plants, increasing root length and surface area. This led to better phosphorus uptake in the intercropped plants compared to when they were grown alone. The increase in root surface area for maize and root length for soybean were the main reasons for improved phosphorus uptake. The intercropped maize maintained its phosphorus uptake even when less fertilizer was applied, showing the potential of intercropping to reduce the need for phosphate fertilizer.