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How did corn, beans, and squash support Mesoamerican agriculture?

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Map of Mesoamerica showing the geographic distribution of various Indigenous peoples, with regions labeled for groups such as the Maya, Nahua, Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, Mazahua, Huastec, Tarasco, and others across present-day Mexico and parts of Central America. Boundaries indicate the approximate areas inhabited by each group. — Mesoamerican Indian Distribution of Meso-American Indians.

In Mesoamerican agricultural tradition, the interplanting of corn, beans, and squash—often referred to as the milpa system—created a highly efficient, symbiotic relationship that supported sustainable food production.1

This method utilized the unique biological contributions of each plant:

Corn: As the tallest plant, it acts as a natural trellis, providing structural support for the beans to climb.1
Beans: These plants host nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their roots, which naturally fertilize the soil, benefiting the growth of all three crops.1
Squash: Growing along the ground, its large leaves provide shade that retains soil moisture and suppresses weeds.1

This polyculture approach offered significant agricultural advantages over monocultures. It increased biodiversity, which helped slow the spread of plant disease and provided food security; if one crop failed, the others were likely to survive. Furthermore, the system required no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, and the nutritional profile of the combined crops provided a balanced diet of starches, proteins, and essential vitamins.1