Background and aims <p>Climate change is putting pressure on global farming, making it crucial to find new ways to boost crop production while protecting the environment. This study examines the impact of combining maize and soybean crops (intercropping) with climate-smart tillage methods on improving yields, storing carbon in the soil, and promoting sustainable farming practices.</p> Methods <p>A two-year field experiment (2022–2023) was conducted to evaluate the impact of maize/soybean intercropping under different tillage systems: reduced tillage (RT), minimum tillage (MT), and conventional tillage (CT, representing standard farmer practices). These systems were also compared with intercropping (maize-soybean) and sole crops (maize and soybean).</p> Results <p>Intercropping with RT increased soil nutrients like nitrate-nitrogen (4.1 mg kg⁻¹) and phosphorus (6.6 mg kg⁻¹) compared to CT (4 mg kg⁻¹ and 6.5 mg kg⁻¹). RT also had the highest levels of soil carbon, including microbial biomass carbon (MBC), particulate organic carbon (POC), mineral-associated organic carbon (MOC), and total organic carbon (TOC). Soybean alone had the most soil carbon, followed by maize-soybean intercropping in the upper soil layers. RT with legumes boosted carbon storage at 1.99–2.01 Mg ha⁻¹ per year. In 2022 and 2023, CT (maize yields of 7369–7584 kg ha⁻¹; LER 1.40–1.44) and RT (maize yields of 7239–7423 kg ha⁻¹; LER 1.38–1.39) outperformed MT, which had the lowest maize yields (5774–5906 kg ha⁻¹) and LER (1.09–1.10).</p> Conclusion <p>These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and farmers seeking to adopt climate-resilient agricultural practices by integrating climate-smart tillage with intercropping for enhanced productivity and soil health.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>