Understanding intercropping to improve agricultural resiliency and environmental sustainability

Intercropping existed early in the evolution of agriculture. However, for several decades, use of this sustainable cropping system approach remained limited to small operations in developing nations. Intensified monoculture production requires increased inputs to maximize productivity; this has resulted in compromised soil health, water and air quality issues due to nitrate, phosphorous, and pesticide runoff and leaching, greenhouse gas emissions, and thus reduced sustainability of farming systems. Well-designed intercropping operations efficiently use natural resources, increase biodiversity, manage pests, and in many instances, enhance crop productivity and quality, and natural soil fertility with reduced consumption of off-farm inputs. The primary consideration in intercropping is selecting compatible crops to minimize competitive inhibition, allow for ease of field management, and increase profit per land unit compared to monocultures. This chapter aims to review more than 50 years of literature addressing intercropping. Following a discussion of tradeoffs and considerations of common types of intercropping, various methods of economic assessments as well as ecosystem services and environmental benefits of intercropping will be reviewed.