Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/intercrop.pdf
Intercropping Principles and Production Practices

Intercropping offers farmers the opportunity to engage nature's principle
of diversity on their farms. Spatial arrangements of plants, planting
rates, and maturity dates must be considered when planning intercrops.
Intercrops can be more productive than growing pure stands. Many different
intercrop systems are discussed, including mixed intercropping, strip
cropping, and traditional intercropping arrangements. Pest management
benefits can also be realized from intercropping due to increased
diversity. Harvesting options for intercrops include hand harvest, machine
harvest for on-farm feed, and animal harvest of the standing crop.
Table of Contents

    * Principles
    * Pursuing Diversity on the Farm
    * Intercropping Concepts
    * Intercrop Productivity
    * Managing Intercrops
    * Examples of Intercrop Systems
    * Escalating Diversity and Stability to a Higher Level
    * Escalating Diversity and Stability to an Even Higher Level
    * Intercropping for Disease Control
    * Adapting Intercropping to Your Farm
    * References