intercropping
Companion crops together
Intercropping is the agricultural practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same field, typically in alternating rows or patches.
The crops are chosen to complement each other—one might fix nitrogen in the soil while another benefits from it, or taller plants might shade shorter ones that prefer less sun.
Intercropping corn with beans is an ancient technique.
Named geological triplet
- food forestLayered edible perennial system
- smallholder farmingCultivation on modest plots
- subsistence agricultureFarming for household consumption
- indigenous knowledgeLocally transmitted ancestral understanding
Cob-bearing cereal crop
- beansEdible pod seeds
- squashFlatten by pressure
- legumesEdible pod-bearing plants
- milletsSmall-seeded cereal grasses
sorghum · cassava · groundnuts · cowpeas · pigeon peas · bananas · coffee · cocoa
Growing compatible plants together
- polycultureMulti-species crop system
- agroforestryTrees integrated with farming
- rotationTurning on an axis
- living mulchPlants grown as soil cover
Vital dietary substances
- organic matterMaterial from living sources
- soil structureArrangement of earth particles
- fertilityCapacity for reproduction
- mulchingCovering soil protectively
root systems · nitrogen fixation · earthworms · microorganisms · humus · aeration · biomass · decomposition
Converting inert gas to ammonia
- weed controlEliminating unwanted vegetation
- risk reductionLessening of potential harm
- pollinationFlower reproductive transfer
- erosion controlPreventing soil loss
water retention · food security · climate resilience · natural pest control · beneficial insects · microclimate
Range of life forms
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- beneficial insectsArthropods aiding agriculture
- pollinatorsOrganisms transferring reproductive dust
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
Three Sisters
Named geological triplet
- food forestLayered edible perennial system
- smallholder farmingCultivation on modest plots
- subsistence agricultureFarming for household consumption
indigenous knowledge · traditional farming · tropical agriculture
maize
Cob-bearing cereal crop
millets · sorghum · cassava · groundnuts · cowpeas · pigeon peas · bananas · coffee · cocoa · coconut
companion planting
Growing compatible plants together
- polycultureMulti-species crop system
- agroforestryTrees integrated with farming
- rotationTurning on an axis
nutrients
Vital dietary substances
- organic matterMaterial from living sources
- soil structureArrangement of earth particles
- fertilityCapacity for reproduction
mulching · root systems · nitrogen fixation · earthworms · microorganisms · humus · aeration · biomass · decomposition · soil moisture
nitrogen fixation
Converting inert gas to ammonia
- weed controlEliminating unwanted vegetation
- risk reductionLessening of potential harm
- pollinationFlower reproductive transfer
erosion control · water retention · food security · climate resilience · natural pest control · beneficial insects · microclimate
biodiversity
Range of life forms
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- beneficial insectsArthropods aiding agriculture
- pollinatorsOrganisms transferring reproductive dust
- crop farmingharvesting, planting, tractors, fertilizing, fertilizer
- horticulturehorticulture, gardening, cultivation, planting, seeds
- Old Farmingplowing, harvesting, sowing, threshing, winnowing
- coffee farmingcoffee cherries, shade trees, terraces, coffee pickers, nurseries
- cultivationplanting, propagation, grafting, cuttings, transplanting
- eco-farmingorganic farming, sustainable farming, sustainable agriculture, no-till, composting