Intercropping

Intercropping is a multiple cropping practice that involves the cultivation of two or more crops simultaneously on the same field, a form of polyculture.

The most common goal of intercropping is to produce a greater yield on a given piece of land by making use of resources or ecological processes that would otherwise not be utilized by a single crop.

Numerous types of intercropping, all of which vary the temporal and spatial mixture to some degree, have been identified.

Freely mixed intercropping has been practiced for thousands of years.

For example, such practices may limit outbreaks of crop pests by increasing predator biodiversity.

Intercropping systems can provide higher yields for the same input, or more stable yields with less input, in low-input or subsistence systems.

In addition to nutrients, the hedges serve as windbreaks and reduce erosion.

They are leguminous, fixing nitrogen into a form usable by plants.

Weed control is inherent to alley cropping, by providing mulch and shade.

The leaves form a thick mulch that protects both soil and roots from sun and rain.

Intercropping of compatible plants can encourage biodiversity

Intercropping is a multiple cropping practice that involves the cultivation of two or more crops simultaneously on the same field, a form of polyculture.

For example, such practices may limit outbreaks of crop pests by increasing predator biodiversity.

In addition to nutrients, the hedges serve as windbreaks and reduce erosion.

These organisms may provide crops valuable nutrients, such as through nitrogen fixation.