Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>
<jats:p>Pot experiments were carried out to study the effects of intercropping by <jats:italic>Chenopodium ambrosioides</jats:italic> L. and maize on the root exudates of soluble sugar and amino acids, in order to understand the relationship between root exudates and cadmium accumulation in plants. The results showed that, compared with monoculture system: (1) after intercropping with maize, the content of soluble sugar in root exudates of <jats:italic>C. ambrosioides</jats:italic> increased by 106.54%, the content of amino acids increased by 52.73%, the available Cd content in rhizosphere soil increased by 12.09%, the root Cd content increased by 15.52%. (2) The content of soluble sugar in root exudates of maize increased by 40.41%, the content of amino acids increased by 70.59%, the available Cd content in rhizosphere soil increased by 29.35%, the shoot Cd content of maize increased by 208.26%. (3) There were significantly posotive correlations between the contents of soluble sugar and amino acids secreted by <jats:italic>C. ambrosioides</jats:italic> and maize roots and the available Cd content in soil. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the available Cd content in soil and the Cd contents in the shoots and roots of plants. The results showed that the increase of soluble sugar and amino acid content of root exudates under the intercropping system caused the change of the available Cd content in the rhizosphere soil, which eventually changed the accumulation of Cd in the shoot and root of <jats:italic>C. ambrosioides</jats:italic> and maize.</jats:p>