Intercropping is a process of growing multiple crops either together or in proximity to each other on one piece of land, thereby improving crop production, reducing and preventing land degradation and increasing crop output.
There are different methods of intercropping:
- Mixed intercropping – two or more crops are seeded together and harvested together.
- Row/strip intercropping – two or more crops planted on the same field but planted in alternate rows.
Crops selected for intercropping should not have similar properties or compete but should be selected to complement one another and be mutually beneficial. For example, deep rooted crops can be intercropped with shallow rooted crops, so as to not compete for water or nutrients. Intercropping helps achieve ecological benefits not possible with monocropping systems. Intercropping is commonly practiced for maize-legume systems, where legumes introduce nitrogen into the soil benefiting maize production and improving soil fertility during crop growth. Furthermore, the legume crops can be utilised for fodder for livestock. This practice is particularly beneficial for smallholder farmers, who can grow multiple crops on small plots to receive multiple benefits including improving production/yields, and increasing household food security. Intercropping is also a climate-smart practice as it mitigates farmer risk to climate variations, through diversifying and increasing crop production, reduces threats of pests and disease, and increases carbon sequestration in soils and biomass production.
To implement intercropping practices:
- Step 1: Consider soil properties - has the soil been mono-cropped and/or is it leached?
- Step 2: Consider crop characteristics – will crops be competing for nutrients, water space, sunlight or will they be mutually beneficial adding nutrients
- Step 3: Prepare land through clearing and weeding. A no-tillage approach is recommended – see Technical Brief 12.
- Step 4: Select whether the farmer should undertake Mixed Intercropping (Good for smaller plots however plants compete) or Row/Strip Intercropping (crops less likely to compete). See also KP07 – Climate Smart Planting Options for Maize and Sorghum.
- Step 5: If mixed intercropping is selected, sow two crops simultaneously mixing seeds to together while planting. Harvesting may not be a simultaneous process as different crops have different growth rates and seasons.
- Step 6: If row/strip intercropping plant two or more crops in the same field but in separate rows patterns. Rows should be spaced 50 cm apart and can have a row of 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of cereal crop to legume.
- Step 7: Harvest as individual crops require, be careful not to disrupt other crops that have not yet matured.
- African Soil Health Consortium, 2016. Maize-Legume Cropping Systems. Nairobi, Kenya.
- FAO, 2015. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. Traditional systems make more productive use of land. Rome, Italy.
- Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) CGIAR, 2013. Intercropping innovations may help build resilience in semi-arid areas. CLI
- WOCAT, 2017. Intercropping, Uganda
- Southern African Development Community (SADC), 2011. SADC Region Agricultural Policy. Gaborone, Botswana.
Benefits
- Increased and diversified crop yield.
- Food security/farm income increase.
- Nutrient fixing.
- Food security/farm income increase.
Drawbacks
- Competition between plants for nutrients, water, space, etc.
- Increase farmer workload as weeding, planting and harvesting are less efficient. Requires consideration especially if women’s workload increases as a result.
