Effect of Intercropping and Fertilizer Dose on Seed Quality and Physiological Properties of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

A Scientometric Analysis of Worldwide Intercropping Research Based on Web of Science Database between 1992 and 2020

“…The major benefits of intercropping include: (1) improved yields, yield stability, and farmers' profitability [14,15], with a decreased risk of reducing total crop production due to climate change; (2) enhanced competitive ability of crops for use efficiency of resources such as nutrients, water, light, and heat [3][4][5]; (3) improved management of weeds, pest/insects, and disease/pathogens due to enhanced competition, physical dominance, space occupation, and allelopathic influence [16][17][18], sometimes the main objective of planting the second crop in intercropping farming is to control weeds; (4) intercropping with cash crops for higher profitability, provide shade/shelter and support to the other crop, and act as insurance against crop failure in abnormal years due to extreme weather such as drought, hurricanes/cyclones, and torrential rain; (5) reduced erosion, enhanced soil carbon sequestration and nitrogen fixation [19], and increased microbial diversity [20]. Compared with monocropping or a monoculture system, the disadvantages of intercropping may include: (1) more input of resources (e.g., seeds, fertilizer, irrigation, gasoline, and manpower-difficult to harvest) [21,22]; (2) significant allelopathic interactions between crop species if species were inappropriately combined [23]; (3) decreased yield due to differences in their competitive abilities.…”