Intercropping in Field Vegetables as an Approach to Sustainable Horticulture

Abstract

Agrosystem diversification is a term for agronomic methods which involve the cultivation of several crops together, and which have been evolved in the tropics over centuries of trial and error by local farmers. Little is known about the effects of growing crops together but what is clear is that intercropping has a great potential for pest and disease reduction, both in the tropics and in temperate regions. Exploration of this potential in field vegetable crops has shown promising results but reveals certain constraints. Important contributions to sustainable vegetable cropping methods can be realized by research and agro-nomic optimization. Decreasing growers’ dependence of pesticides while maintaining product quality and marketable yields is the main purpose of intercropping in sustainable field vegetable growing.

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