Published in Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, Vol. LXV, Issue 1
Written by Veselka VLAHOVA
As population expansion, urbanization, environmental pollution, and climate change, the global food crisis is currently aggravated in the world. One strategy for coping with the effects of climate change in arid regions is intercropping. The purpose of this paper is to review the main types of intercropping- Row intercropping, Mixed intercropping, Strip intercropping, Relay intercropping and present their advantages. Intercropping is as a multiple cropping system, in which two or more crops species planted simultaneously in a field during a growing season. An example of sustainable farming systems is intercropping, which creates balance with the environment, contributes to better use of resources, and reduces damage from diseases and pests. Potential advantages of this practice include higher crop yields- due to extra sunlight that taller crops receive on their borders. Intercropping enables plants to efficiently utilize plant growth resources like water, nutrients, sun light; to improve soil erosion control. Intercropping patterns are more effective than monocropping in suppression of weeds, but their effectiveness varies greatly. Intercropping is ways to increase diversity in an agricultural ecosystem.
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