Intercropping—A Low Input Agricultural Strategy for Food and Environmental Security

Abstract

Intensive agriculture is based on the use of high-energy inputs and quality planting materials with assured irrigation, but it has failed to assure agricultural sustainability because of creation of ecological imbalance and degradation of natural resources. On the other hand, intercropping systems, also known as mixed cropping or polyculture, a traditional farming practice with diversified crop cultivation, uses comparatively low inputs and improves the quality of the agro-ecosystem. Intensification of crops can be done spatially and temporally by the adoption of the intercropping system targeting future need. Intercropping ensures multiple benefits like enhancement of yield, environmental security, production sustainability and greater ecosystem services. In intercropping, two or more crop species are grown concurrently as they coexist for a significant part of the crop cycle and interact among themselves and agro-ecosystems. Legumes as component crops in the intercropping system play versatile roles like biological N fixation and soil quality improvement, additional yield output including protein yield, and creation of functional diversity. But growing two or more crops together requires additional care and management for the creation of less competition among the crop species and efficient utilization of natural resources. Research evidence showed beneficial impacts of a properly managed intercropping system in terms of resource utilization and combined yield of crops grown with low-input use. The review highlights the principles and management of an intercropping system and its benefits and usefulness as a low-input agriculture for food and environmental security.

Rhizosphere Bacterial Networks, but Not Diversity, Are Impacted by Pea-Wheat Intercropping

“…A classic strategy for increasing plant diversity in cropping systems is the intercropping (IC) that consists in cultivation of different plant species or cultivars on the same field and at the same time (Willey, 1979). Intercropping is a longstanding and widespread practice in low-input cropping systems throughout the world (Altieri, 1999;Knörzer et al, 2009;Maitra et al, 2021). Intercrop area represents 20-25% of arable land in China, and 17% in India, and up to 83% in Northern Nigeria, and 94% in Malawi (Knörzer et al, 2009).…”

Intercrop practices in cashew production

“…It is widely practiced by farmers especially in tropical areas [13]. It is an advanced agro-technique and is considered to be a potent and likely means of increasing crop production per unit area and time [14], particularly for farmers with small holdings [15]. It also helps as an insurance against main crop failure under adverse condition [14].…”

Funneliformis mosseae inoculation under water deficit stress improves the yield and phytochemical characteristics of thyme in intercropping with soybean

“…The difference in rooting depth and root expansion of plants affects the competition of intercropping components over nutrients. Therefore, the higher nutrient content in intercropping systems could be due to the increase of the environmental use efficiency as a result of different root distribution (e.g., thyme is a shallow-rooted and soybean is a deep-rooted type crop) 32 , 33 . Duchene et al 18 showed that the nutrients availability in intercropping patterns improved due to the higher symbiotic nitrogen fixation by legumes, root exudation of enzymes such as phosphatases, carboxylates, and decrease of soil acidity by production of H + in comparison with sole culture of plants.…”