Description of practice
Intercropping involves growing two or more crops in proximity. Intercropping is used to produce greater yield by making use of resources or ecological processes. Intercropping is also used as a method to spread production risk.
| Examples of how to use intercropping | Further information (see Note below) |
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Maize and beansSoybean and maize are planted together in the same field to increase soil fertility, yield and financial return. Soybean helps to fix nitrogen in the soil, reducing the net demand for fertilizers. |
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VegetablesAlternate rows of different vegetables such as lettuce, pak choi, escarole, choy sum and morning glory are intercropped to reduce damage from insects. |
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Orchard trees and wheatWheat is intercropped in an existing orchard. Between the trees which are planted along contour lines, a 3 m wide grass strip is left uncultivated to control runoff and to protect the ground from splash erosion. |
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Cashew nut trees and peanutsIntercropping of annual peanuts with cashew trees fills the free space of land between the trees, prevents soil erosion and improves soil fertility. |
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Fruit trees and cash cropsIntercropping of pineapple between mango and orange trees helps to maintain soil nutrients while enhancing potential economic benefits through producing a bigger variety of crops. |
»WOCAT technology 2843 |
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Maize and chilli peppersIntercropping maize and the high value cash crop chilli peppers helps to control erosion, enhance water and nutrient use efficiency, control pests and diseases, and shows improved resilience to drought. |
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Note: Most of the Further information links are to a full description of the example in the WOCAT database. However sometimes the link may be to similar practices or a research paper. Occasionally the link is to a commercial product in which case it should be understood that this does not imply any endorsement of the product by iSQAPER.