Intercropping is a simple concept, used by professional farmers as well as hobbyists and gardeners. It simply involves growing more than one type of crop on your piece of land. It is a useful technique: one you should embrace. It has its downsides, but is something nearly any type of farmer can work with, as it allows you to make the most out of your precious resources.
Greater Yields
There is no need for major business expertise to figure this one out. If you grow a greater variety of crops, you’ll also have greater yields, resulting in more profit. This allows you to spread your yields and your income sources throughout the year, creating different streams of income from one season to the next.
Insurance
Operating a farm isn’t always a risk-free venture: a lot can go wrong. You can’t always prepare for the problems that arise, but having more than one source of income to rely upon helps to create a sense of insurance. Intercropping makes this possible, allowing you to diversify and become less dependent on one type of crop or customer.
Use of Soil
Soil is the most important asset a farmer can have, and you should work hard to make the most of it. Intercropping achieves this, as it uses more of the nutrients already in the soil while wasting as little space and water as possible. It protects the soil from erosion and frost as well, providing a protective layer during the winter months.
More costly and more complicated
Like most types of agriculture, intercropping has its downsides. Growing more than one crop means your work will become more costly and logistically complex. Additional costs are unavoidable. Still, the benefits tend to outweigh the downsides here.
Conclusion
Intercropping is the process of planting more than one crop on the same patch of land, creating more opportunities for profit and making better overall use of the soil and its qualities.