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

• Published in: Agronomy (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 2; p. 343
• Main Authors: Maitra, Sagar, Hossain, Akbar, Brestic, Marian, Skalicky, Milan, Ondrisik, Peter, Gitari, Harun, Brahmachari, Koushik, Shankar, Tanmoy, Bhadra, Preetha, Palai, Jnana Bharati, Jena, Jagadish, Bhattacharya, Urjashi, Duvvada, Sarath Kumar, Lalichetti, Sagar, Sairam, Masina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.02.2021
• Subjects: Agricultural ecosystems; Agricultural practices; Agricultural production; Agriculture; agroecosystems; agronomy; Crop yield; Crops; ecological imbalance; Ecosystem services; Ecosystems; environment; Environmental security; food; functional diversity; Intensive farming; Intercropping; irrigation; Legumes; low input agriculture; Mixed cropping; Natural resources; nitrogen fixation; Polyculture; Quality assurance; Quality control; Resource utilization; security; Soil fertility; Soil improvement; Soil quality; Sustainability; Sustainable agriculture; Traditional farming; Greece

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,...