Push-pull cropping: A combination of repellent and attractant crops can be used in an intercropping system for insect pest control. This growing technique can be used to condition the soil, by growing nitrogen fixers such as beans, to keep weeds down, as seen when fast-growing crops like radishes are planted among slow-growing grains, and to confer numerous other benefits. Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the I love making fruit smoothies with just berries and milk. Difference between Intercropping and Crop Rotation. I had a really nice crop, because the beetles didn’t munch on the vines and fruit. Inga alley cropping has been proposed as an alternative to the ecological destruction of … In another, an intercrop or intercrops are planted between the rows after a main crop has started to mature. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and [13] While Intercropping just means that you will grow 2 or more crops at one time on one piece of land. Excessive P fertilizer would not only reduce yields but also cause soil P a… A wide variety of crops can be mixed with intercropping. 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. For example, planting basil and tomatoes in your asparagus patch to deter asparagus beetles also gets you more yields from your asparagus patch. For example, in one seedbed of red chili trees, you plant currant tomato plants in between the holes for chili trees. This practice is ancient, as numerous records from human societies all over the world indicate. However different those two kinds of plants are, they are a good fit for intercropping. For example an LER of 1.25 tells us that the yield produced in the total intercrop would have required 25% more land if planted in pure stands. It can change the growing conditions for the plants. One of the most famous examples of this practice comes from the Americas, where native peoples grew corn, beans, and squash together. Good plants will disguise the crops while feeding the predator insects and actually repelling the pests. Another advantage of beans is that as a legume they naturally produce nitrogen, which benefits the other companion plant. The benefits of companion planting are not restricted to edible crops, either. The best strawberries are the ones you grow in your own garden. Examples of common second crop are peanuts, long beans, pumpkins, cassavas, corns, red beans, sweet potatoes, peas, cowpeas, soybeans, mung beans, etc. Intercrops which grow quickly can also be grown in several cycles while a primary crop matures. It also takes advantage of interdependent relationships between plants, with the intercrops providing cover, shade, nutrients, a trellis to grow on, and other benefits. This example of intercropping also illustrates many of the advantages of this practice. Some plants can kill insects and pests. Consider growth rate above and below ground when interplanting flowers and vegetables. Some crops may even have insecticidal effects which keep pests from more vulnerable crops. This example of intercropping also illustrates many of the advantages of this practice. I like to grow strawberries with blackberry bushes. For example, tomatoes, eggplants and potatoes are all from the nightshade family, so they don’t work well for intercropping. I planted several squash and zucchini with marigolds this year, and while they have been overrun with the beetles in the past, I only saw a couple on the outer edges of the rows this time. Intercropping is not a foreign word in the world of agriculture. The result of intercropping is just as good as monoculture or crop rotation. For example, intercropping studies with whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci), which feed on a wide range of crops, have demonstrated a reduction in numbers by intercropping in some studies and not in others (Fig. The positive effect of intercropping is also you can save your money by optimizing your land use. Intercropping is the practice of growing two or more crops in close proximity to increase yield by making use of resources such as physical space, nutrients, water and sunlight that would not be utilized by a single crop. This works for any size garden. @lighth0se33 - I used marigolds in my pumpkin garden, and they did wonders at keeping the insects off. The idea of intercropping is to allow a crop, the early maturing crop, to survive successfully in the midst of the other crops, the late-maturing crop, before harvesting. As well, they attract similar pests and are susceptible to similar diseases. Use The Physical Spatial Interactions: Tall-growing, sun-loving plants may share space with lower-growing, shade-tolerant species, resulting in higher total yields from the land. Intercropping also allows you to grow cash crops or any crop that will actually supplement the primary crop in some way. Companion planting is another form of intercropping. For one, they use similar nutrients. Among them, two of the most commonly followed practices are the mixed cropping and intercropping. You can also add the flowers of nasturtiums to a salad. Mixing slow-growing crops with speedier ones makes excellent use of space. In the scorching summer sun, this keeps the plants from wilting and the fruit from spoiling. Luckily, there are several types of plants you can grow underneath your tomatoes to make the most of the space. They create a shaded area behind or underneath that's perfect for sowing some lettuce or beet seeds. Intercropping helps people in preventing pest and diseases to spread throughout the field and also increases soilfertility. In one form, crops are planted in alternating rows or strips, with the crops being kept separate, but still interacting as a result of proximity. Advantages and Disadvantages of Intercropping in Agriculture, Proudly powered by 1001artificialplants.com. My family has used intercropping for as long as I can remember. Intercropping can also be done with crops which are totally intermixed, rather than being separated. For example, tall tomato and corn plants love being sited in a warm, sunny spot. strip intercropping Examples of successful strip intercropping practices in the United States are: alternating strips of wheat, corn and soybean 6 rows wide each; oat, corn and soybean; and 6 rows of corn with 12 rows of soybean. Pests can be controlled through intercropping by trap cropping, repellant intercropping, or push-pull cropping. Home gardeners can also utilize this practice to increase yields and promote healthy crops. Like you said, they do add beauty to an otherwise ordinary garden. One of the most famous examples of this practice comes from the Americas, where native peoples grew corn, beans, and squash together. Plus, the marigolds made the garden look pretty. Once established, both types of plants come back every year, so all I had to pay for was the original plants. Intercrops can be more productive than growing pure stands. exciting challenge of being a wiseGEEK researcher and writer. I know for a fact that marigolds can help repel the squash beetle. An example of trait complementarity in tropical intercropping is the ‘three sisters’ polyculture of maize (Zea mays), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and squash (Cucurbita spp. Doing this successfully requires a bit of additional focus on companion planting. I alternate the rows so that the big bushes provide some shelter and shade for the strawberry vines. Beans are a popular intercropping vegetable because they can be grown as a bush variety alongside other crops or as a vine variety on poles alongside other crops. I planted one row of entirely squash, a row of marigolds next to that, and then a row of zucchini, and another row of marigolds. This is what intercroppingdoes. The principle of intercropping is opportunism. 4. This is a process known as intercropping. An example of repellant intercrops can be seen in a recent study that showed that intercropping leeks with beans (host plant) had a repellent effect on the bean fly. Another example would be cassavas and corns together. There are multiple ways people have been setting up an intercropped area. Here are some of the best ways to do it – and protect your soil – for long term success. Regarding the time of seeding, plants are sown either at the same time or when other species are already flowering or ready for harvesting. Intercropping and Crop Rotation are alternative strategies applied in Multiple Cropping.Intercropping is a method of growing two or more crops together in proximity on the same land. They are so good for you. Shade-loving plants that can be intercropped with sun-loving plants include beans, beets, chard, leeks, lettuce, peas, radishes, and turnips. I also love not having to buy containers of berries from the grocery store. Intercropping is what happens when you plant more than one kind of crops on your land. Also, most of the crops planted in present intercropping systems are annual plants which have obvious advantages over perennial plants. 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. Based on the climatic characteristics, the nature of the land and other factors, various cropping systems are practised by farmers. ; Postma & Lynch, 2012). 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