Improving intercropping through the synthesis of plant physiology and ecology

Abstract

Intercropping is the practice of growing two or more plant species simultaneously in the same field for a significant part of their growth cycles. The use of intercropping in sustainable agriculture is becoming more and more popular, and there is an increasing amount of scientific research on this issue. The current understanding of the factors influencing yield, yield stability, and resource efficiency in intercropping as opposed to solitary cropping is examined in this paper. Intercrops increase acquiring efficiency more than conversion efficiency when resource usage is broken down into acquisition and conversion. Additionally, we try to assess the importance of decreased biotic stressors from weeds, diseases, and pests. We're especially interested in knowledge gaps and potential bias in existing literature, and we're wondering what research methodologies are needed to progress the area and pave the way for more intercropping in modern sustainable agriculture.