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Environmental information systems
Intercropping
Code:
A05
Sector:
Agriculture
Source:
Gábor Ungvári’s presentation, NWRM Workshop 1
Summary
Intercropping is the practice of growing two or more crops in proximity. The most common goal of intercropping is to produce a greater yield on a given piece of land by making use of resources that would otherwise not be utilized by a single crop. Examples of intercropping strategies are planting a deep-rooted crop with a shallow-rooted crop, or planting a tall crop with a shorter crop that requires partial shade. Numerous types of intercropping, all of which vary the temporal and spatial mixture to some degree, have been identified: mixed intercropping, row cropping, relay cropping, etc.
Benefits
Ecosystem service
Level | Benefits | |
---|---|---|
High | Regulatory and maintenance | ES9 - Filtration of pollutants |
Medium | Regulatory and maintenance | ES4 - Biodiversity preservation |
Medium | Regulatory and maintenance | ES7 - Flood risk reduction |
Medium | Regulatory and maintenance | ES8 - Erosion/sediment control |
Low | Provisioning | ES1 - Water storage |
Low | Regulatory and maintenance | ES5 - Climate change adaptation and mitigation |
Biophysical impacts
Level | Benefits | ||
---|---|---|---|
High | Mechanism of Water Retention | Slowing and reducing runoff | BP2 - Slow runoff |
High | Mechanism of Water Retention | Reducing runoff | BP6 - Increase infiltration and/or groundwater recharge |
High | Biophysical Impacts Resulting from Water Retention | Soil conservation | BP10 - Reduce erosion and/or sediment delivery |
High | Biophysical Impacts Resulting from Water Retention | Climate alteration | BP15 - Enhance precipitation |
Medium | Biophysical Impacts Resulting from Water Retention | Soil conservation | BP11 - Improve soils |
Low | Mechanism of Water Retention | Reducing runoff | BP7 - Increase soil water retention |
Policy Objectives
Level | Benefits |
---|---|
High | PO9 - Take adequate and co-ordinated measures to reduce flood risks |
High | PO11 - Better protection for ecosystems and more use of Green Infrastructure |
Medium | PO3 - Improving status of hydromorphology quality elements |
Medium | PO7 - Prevent surface water status deterioration |
Medium | PO12 - More sustainable agriculture and forestry |
Medium | PO14 - Prevention of biodiversity loss |