Intercropping
Intercropping is the practice of growing two or more crops in proximity. The most common goal of intercropping is to produce a greater yield on a given piece of land by making use of resources that would otherwise not be utilized by a single crop. Examples of intercropping strategies are planting a deep-rooted crop with a shallow-rooted crop, or planting a tall crop with a shorter crop that requires partial shade. Numerous types of intercropping, all of which vary the temporal and spatial mixture to some degree, have been identified: mixed intercropping, row cropping, relay cropping, etc.
Intercropped cereals with soybeans
Source: Gábor Ungvári’s presentation, NWRM Workshop 1
Benefits |
Level![]() |
---|---|
BP6 - Increase infiltration and/or groundwater recharge | High |
BP10 - Reduce erosion and/or sediment delivery | High |
BP15 - Enhance precipitation | High |
ES9 - Filtration of pollutants | High |
PO9 - Take adequate and co-ordinated measures to reduce flood risks | High |
PO11 - Better protection for ecosystems and more use of Green Infrastructure | High |
BP2 - Slow runoff | High |
BP7 - Increase soil water retention | Low |
ES1 - Water storage | Low |
ES5 - Climate change adaptation and mitigation | Low |
BP11 - Improve soils | Medium |
ES7 - Flood risk reduction | Medium |
ES8 - Erosion/sediment control | Medium |
PO3 - Improving status of hydromorphology quality elements | Medium |
PO7 - Prevent surface water status deterioration | Medium |
PO12 - More sustainable agriculture and forestry | Medium |
PO14 - Prevention of biodiversity loss | Medium |
ES4 - Biodiversity preservation | Medium |
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