Intercropping in India: Enhancing Soil Health and Farmer Income

Table of Contents

• What is Intercropping and Its Role in Indian Agriculture?
• Statistics of Intercropping in India
• Types of Intercropping Systems in India
  • Mixed Intercropping
  • Row Intercropping
  • Patch Intercropping
  • Strip Intercropping
  • Relay Intercropping
  • Parallel Intercropping
  • Multi-Storied Intercropping
  • Alley Cropping
  • Guard Crops
  • Trap Cropping
• Some Examples of Intercropping in India
• How to Select Crops for Intercropping?
• What are the Benefits of Intercropping?
• What are the Limitations of Intercropping?

What is Intercropping and Its Role in Indian Agriculture?

Intercropping was a practice which dominated early agriculture and is still practiced in many parts of the world. However, with the arrival of modern agriculture it began disappearing mainly because of mechanization and specialization. Despite this pressure of abandoning intercropping, it survived and flourished because of the increasing environmental concerns and sustainability.

Intercropping is one of the different types of agriculture that basically stands for growing two or more crops (genotypes) together on the same piece of land particularly in such a way that the period of overlap is long enough to include the vegetative stage. The intercropping includes the plantation of the main or base crop which is the main source of income on the farm and the intercrop which is planted between the vacant spaces of main crop. The intercrop usually has a short life cycle and is mainly grown with the intention of getting additional income. This agricultural practice is associated with sustainable crop production. It provides a longer period of ground cover than monocultures and maintains soil fertility, reduces soil erosion and maximizes water use efficiency.

When it comes to India, its tropical and subtropical climate is suitable for intercropping. Also, in Indian agriculture where resources or inputs required for farming like land, water, and labor are often limited, intercropping appears as a strategic approach to enhance productivity and financial returns. Furthermore, with the increasing pressure to provide food security to our growing population, the optimal use of the available resources becomes significant which is achievable by intercropping. This practice aligns appropriately with India’s agricultural challenges and aspirations which offers a path towards sustainable and profitable farming.

Statistics of Intercropping in India

Intercropping is majorly practiced in the semi-arid regions of India like Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, etc. It is widely spread in India and it is evident from the area covered under intercropping i.e., around 1 million ha according to the ICAR. Also, between 0.70 to 0.90 million farmers in India are practicing intercropping in India. These farmers are usually small landholders primarily because it offers them flexibility in planting and sowing as well as helps in meeting the nutritional needs of the crops.

Types of Intercropping Systems in India

Intercropping is practiced in various arrangements depending on the farming requirements. Let’s briefly look into the different types of intercropping systems:

Mixed Intercropping

Mixed intercropping is a type of intercropping which involves growing two or more crops at the same time on a particular land without any distinct row arrangement.

Row Intercropping

Row intercropping is the opposite of mixed intercropping as it involves growing two or more crops simultaneously with a distinct row arrangement.

Patch Intercropping

Patch intercropping, as the name suggests, involves growing the intercrops in patches at the vacant spaces with the main crops.

Strip Intercropping

The strip intercropping involves growing two or more crops side by side in the form of strips which are wide enough to allow independent cultivation but at the same time in a close proximity for crops to interact.  

Relay Intercropping

In relay intercropping, the second crop is planted when the first crop has become mature but not completely to harvest. However, the second crop must be tolerant of the shade of the first one.

Parallel Intercropping

The parallel intercropping consists of growing two crops simultaneously in parallel rows on the same land. However, they do not compete with each other for nutrients and also do not affect each other.

Multi-Storied Intercropping

The multi-storied intercropping is another agricultural practice which involves growing two or multiple crops of varying heights in the same field at the same time.

Alley Cropping

Alley cropping, also known as hedgerow intercropping, consists of cultivating trees or shrubs at a close space in the form of hedges to create alleys.

Guard Crops

Guard crops is a sort of agricultural practice in which the main crop is grown in the center and the hardy or thorny crops surround it to basically protect the main crop.

Trap Cropping

The trap cropping basically includes growing trap crops like marigolds and mustard etc. with the main crop to trap various insect pests that can harm the main crop. 

Some Examples of Intercropping in India

Intercropping is suitable for various crops but it works best for wide-spaced crops like maize, cotton, sugarcane, etc. The pigeon pea is usually intercropped with cereal crops or short duration pulse crops whereas pulses are usually intercropped with oilseeds and commercial crops. Let’s look at some of the intercropping examples:

• Sorghum and Legumes: Sorghum is a staple cereal crop and it is suitable to be intercropped with legumes like pigeon peas or chickpeas. This is because the legumes fix nitrogen which enriches the soil.
• Maize and Cowpea: Maize and cowpea intercropping offers a symbiotic relationship. In this maize provides support for the climbing cowpea plants. With the help of this combination the farmer gets high yields of both cereal grains and protein-rich legumes.
• Cotton and Soybean: Cotton and soybean intercropping is suitable for enhancing resource use efficiency. The cotton’s canopy aids in suppressing weeds and controlling pests and simultaneously the soybean’s nitrogen fixation aids cotton.

How to Select Crops for Intercropping?

It is important to exercise intercropping with proper caution while selecting crops. It is important to consider their growth habits, duration, root growth, etc. For instance, you should select tall-growing crops to plant along the bushy crops. The shallow-rooted crops work perfect as intercrops with deep-rooted crops. The crops that require Long-duration to harvest should be intercropped with short-duration crops. Make sure to grow slow-growing crops in vacant spaces of fast-growing crops for balance. Most importantly the crops selected should be of different families for avoiding various pests and diseases.

What are the Benefits of Intercropping?

The intercropping systems play a vital role in increasing agricultural productivity. Mostly intercropping with fruits provides more benefits when compared to others. Let’s look at some of benefits associated with intercropping:

• The performance of intercropping is affected by various factors like solar radiation, water, nutrients, the maturity of the crop, growth rate, root systems, allelopathic effect, planting pattern, etc. However, according to most studies, intercropping benefits over monocropping when it comes to yield stability and enhanced crop productivity. For example, cereal + legume intercropping provides higher yield stability and lower probability of crop failure than single crops planted in rainfed areas.
• Intercropping has led to the increase in farmers income and profitability through diversifying crops over time and space. Especially the intercropping of fruit trees with short duration crops.
• The humidity within the canopy can be maintained by the compound canopies of component crops which appear while intercropping of various plants. This is important in avoiding drying and providing appropriate growth conditions even during moisture deficiency situations.
• Intercropping is responsible for improving the soil health by maintaining the soil fertility. The intercropping systems involve planting deep rooted plants which can help in preventing soil erosion particularly in heavy rainfall areas.

What are the Limitations of Intercropping?

There are as such not many disadvantages of intercropping. However, if the selection, planning and management while practicing it is not done carefully, it can lead to a few disadvantages:

• In some instances, intercrops can work as alternate hosts for various pests and diseases. This also makes it difficult to control various pests and diseases.
• Different maturity of crops may sometimes make harvesting process a bit complicated.
• Intercropping is quite time-consuming as it requires more attention and expert management than monocropping.
• It is a labor-intensive practice as there is reduced efficiency in planting, weeding, and harvesting so due to which it can be a bit expensive.
• There is a possibility of allelopathic effect in intercropping as certain plants produce biochemicals that influence the growth and reproduction of the other plants. This can lead to a competition among the component crops.
• There is a possibility of occurring problems while carrying out intercultural operations like there can be a difficulty in mechanization for processes like crop cutting, spraying, and irrigation.

Conclusively, farmers can attain the benefits from full production of the main crop along with the additional yield associated with the second component or intercrop. Thus, intercropping can increase the income of small land holders who do not have a labor shortage. This can reduce the economic risk and market fluctuation which can happen due to monocropping. However, farmers should appropriately select and support the intercropping systems with required agronomic practices for reaping the benefits of intercropping.