Advantages and Disadvantages of Intercropping
Advantages and Disadvantages of Intercropping
Advantage of Intercropping:
1. Intercropping gives additional yield income/unit area than sole cropping.
2. It acts as an insurance against failure of crops in abnormal year.
3. Inter-crops maintain the soil fertility as the nutrient uptake is made from both layers of soil.
4. Reduction in soil runoff and controls weeds.
5. Intercrops provide shade and support to the other crop.
6. Inter cropping system utilizes resources efficiently and their productivity is increased (Reddy and Redid, 1992).
7. Intercropping with cash crops is higher profitable.
8. It helps to avoid inter-crop competition and thus a higher number of crop plants are grown per unit area.
Disadvantages of intercropping:
1. Yield decreases as the crops differ in their competitive abilities.
2. Management of I/c having different cultural practices seems to be difficult task.
3. Improved implements cannot be used efficiently.
4. Higher amount of fertilizer or irrigation water cannot be utilized properly as the component crops vary in their response of these resources.
5. Harvesting is difficult.