The productive performance of intercropping

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 120; no. 2; p. e2201886120
• Main Authors: Li, Chunjie, Stomph, Tjeerd-Jan, Makowski, David, Li, Haigang, Zhang, Chaochun, Zhang, Fusuo, van der Werf, Wopke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 10.01.2023
• Subjects: Agricultural practices; Agricultural production; Agricultural sciences; Agriculture - methods; Agronomy; Biological Sciences; Calories; Crop diversification; Crop resilience; Crops; Crops, Agricultural; Ecosystem; Ecosystem services; Edible Grain; Environmental impact; Fabaceae; Grain; Intercropping; Legumes; Life Sciences; Proteins; Sole cropping; Statistics; Sustainable agriculture; Sustainable development; Sustainable production; intercropping; productivity; land-use efficiency; transgressive overyielding; food security

Crop diversification has been put forward as a way to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture without penalizing its productivity. In this context, intercropping, the planned combination of two or more crop species in one field, is a promising practice. On an average, intercropping saves land...