Intercropping and Mixed Cropping: Differences and Advantages

Intercropping is a cropping practice in which two or more crops are planted in a specific row arrangement on the same plot of land to maximize production. Small farmers that rely on rainfall for agricultural output widely employ this strategy. The primary goal of intercropping is to maximize the use of all resources to boost crop output. Intercropping crops include soybean and maize, finger millet, and cowpea. This farming strategy increases crop output from a fixed land area, making it appealing to small farmers.

Intercropping and mixed cropping

Types of intercropping

Intercropping is a strategy for increasing productivity in which various crops are cultivated simultaneously on the same plot of land in a precise manner. Row planting, Strip Cropping, mixed intercropping, and relay planting are the Four basic methods of intercropping.

Row cropping: Planting two or more vegetable plants in alternate rows.
Relay cropping is the practice of planting a fast-growing crop alongside a slow-growing crop such that one crop develops before the other. It is also called Temporal intercropping. As an example, rice-cauliflower-onion-summer gourds.
Mixed intercropping is a fundamental technique in which two or more crops are mixed and seeded on the field.
Strip cropping is the practice of growing two or more crops in wide strips so they may be maintained separately.

Benefits/advantages of intercropping

Intercropping can provide agronomic benefits, considering soil, climate, and crop type.
Intercropping promotes pest management and biodiversity using trap cropping, repellent intercropping, and push-pull cropping.
Intercropping also improves resource usage, lowers crop failure risk, optimizes space and time, and increases output.
Intercropping helps in weed management, soil fertility maintenance, erosion prevention, and the prevention of soil crust development.
Intercropping generates additional income, meets farmers’ daily needs, and expands agricultural employment opportunities.
Intercropping can also contribute to a more stable ecosystem by including complementing crops and management practices for the primary crop. Certain crops benefit from shade and physical assistance.

What is mixed cropping?

Mixed cropping is a method of growing many crops at the same time. Mixed cropping is a method of agriculture in which two or more crops are cultivated in the same area in a random pattern or arrangement. The primary goal of mixed cropping is to promote soil fertility, crop diversification, and, eventually, crop yields.

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This cropping strategy can also help to prevent crop failure due to poor weather conditions where one line of a legume crop and another line of a main crop are planted. The main crop takes nitrogen from the soil. At the same time, the legume replenishes it by fixing nitrogen in the form of nitrates in its root nodules. It helps maintain soil fertility and allows farmers to produce large crops without depleting the soil’s nitrogen content.

The advantages/benefits of mixed cropping

Improved soil fertility: Mixing cropping promotes soil fertility by fixing nitrogen and restocking the soil with necessary nutrients.
Increased yield: Growing numerous crops simultaneously might result in a better yield since one crop aids in the growth of the others.
Reduced pest and disease pressure: Because one crop functions as a natural shield to protect the other, mixed cropping can lessen the demand for pesticides.
A wide range of produce: Offers diversity and variety in crops grown, leading to a more nutritious diet and the option to sell different crops.
Lower chances of crop failure: Reduces the risk of failure due to weather or pests by growing multiple crops in one field.
Improved weed management: Competition between crops limits weed growth and reduces the need for herbicides.

Mixed cropping examples

Wheat and mustard can be planted together in the same area to boost soil fertility and crop production. Beans, maize, and cucumbers: A typical example of mixed cropping, commonly known as the “Three Sisters.” These crops were cultivated in various eras, but they were eventually combined to constitute a significant element of Native American agriculture and diet.

Differences between intercropping and mixed cropping

Parameters of Comparison	Mixed Cropping	Intercropping
Definition	Growing two or more crops in the same field, often with no specific arrangement or pattern.	Growing two or more crops in the same field in a specific arrangement or pattern.
Feature	Mixed Cropping	Intercropping
Purpose	Avoid crop failure	Optimal utilization of space
Pattern	No particular pattern	Specific row pattern
Sowing	Seeds mixed and sowed	Seeds sowed separately in pattern
Fertilizers/Pesticides	Same for all crops	Used separately for each crop
Duration/Maturity/Lifecycle	Varied among crops	Similar among crops
Harvest/Sale	Harvested and sold together	Harvested and sold separately at different times

Mixed cropping involves growing two or more crops in the same field with no specific arrangement, while intercropping involves growing two or more crops in the same field in a specific arrangement or pattern. Both methods have advantages, such as improved resource utilization, reduced pest pressure, and increased yields, but can also have disadvantages, such as competition for resources in the case of mixed cropping and more careful planning and management required in the case of intercropping.

What is crop rotation?

Crop rotation is a way to improve the health of the soil, get the most out of the nutrients, and protect against pests and weeds. It requires cultivating various crops in the same site throughout many growing seasons. By not cultivating the same crops in the same site in successive years, crop rotation lowers nutrient depletion and pest infestations. Legumes (peas and beans), nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers), chicories (lettuce and endive), and umbels are all regularly cycled crops (carrots and parsley).

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Selection criteria for crops in rotation

Moisture availability
Availability of fertilizers, human resources, and machine-power
Marketing and processing facilities
Availability of nutrients in the soil
Crop duration

Advantages of crop rotation

Crop rotation is the practice of producing various crops in the same location across many seasons. It has several advantages.

Promoting soil fertility and nutrient efficiency,
Reducing plant diseases and insect pests,
Weed control, soil erosion, and soil health.
Crop rotation allows farmers to spread their workload, reducing environmental resource use and producer time efficiency.
Crop rotation gives soil bacteria varied food sources, improving soil structure. Plant roots hold the top layer of soil together,
Reducing water erosion and raindrop impact.
Crop rotation interrupts insect life cycles and habitats, reducing plant infection.
Finally, legume cover crops may provide a lot of nitrogen during crop rotation.

Conclusion

Intercropping and mixed cropping are both methods of growing multiple crops in the same field, with intercropping being the planting of different crops in between rows of a main crop and mixed cropping, the planting of different crops in the same field without distinct rows. Both have benefits, such as higher crop yields, fewer pests and diseases, and healthier soil.

Intercropping and Mixed Cropping: Differences and Advantages