Many Advantages of Intercropping Vegetables in Mulberry Orchards in Winter, with Cases of Poverty Alleviation and Prosperity

In recent years, the model of intercropping vegetables in mulberry orchards in winter has become popular, because mulberry orchards are generally only used from May to October each year, and from November each year to April of the following year, when silkworms are not raised, they are often left abandoned there, which both wastes land and brings no economic income. So more and more silkworm farmers are beginning to try this model. Then what exactly are the advantages of intercropping vegetables in mulberry orchards in winter? Are there cases of poverty alleviation and prosperity?

I. Advantages of intercropping vegetables in mulberry orchards in winter

1. Beneficial to winter management of mulberry orchards

Intercropping in mulberry orchards is beneficial to winter management of mulberry orchards. When silkworm farmers fertilize the intercropped vegetables, carry out intertillage and soil loosening, weed and open furrows for drainage, they also incidentally strengthen the winter management of mulberry trees, which not only helps increase the soil fertility of the mulberry orchard and improve soil permeability, but also helps eliminate overwintering pests of mulberry trees, creating favorable conditions for mulberry tree growth. In addition, in order to facilitate the management of the intercropped crops, silkworm farmers also increased pruning and tip cutting of mulberry trees, making the tree shape more scientific and reasonable; after harvest is completed before the end of April the following year, all remaining stems, stalks, twigs and old leaves are buried in the mulberry orchard as green manure, which helps increase organic fertilizer in the mulberry orchard.

2. Saving labor

Intercropping in mulberry orchards is a three-dimensional ecological planting model that uses mulberry land resources and idle labor through multiple channels, increases the output value per unit area of the mulberry orchard, and promotes income growth for silkworm farmers. It can make full use of resources such as light, heat and water, and form a pattern of coexistence of multiple species, multi-level configuration and multi-stage resource cycling and transformation, achieving good ecological and social benefits. For example, intercropping mustard greens in a mulberry orchard can produce about 2000 kg per mu, and calculated at 0.6 yuan/kg, each mu of mulberry can increase income by 1200 yuan.

3. Improving land utilization

Intercropping in mulberry orchards also makes full use of land resources and light resources. Intercropping in mulberry orchards is generally sown or transplanted in early November and harvested at the latest in early April. It not only does not compete with mulberry trees for land, but can also coordinate with them and promote each other, achieving greater income growth. From transplanting to just before harvest, the intercropped vegetables are in exactly the dormant season of mulberry trees. Throughout the entire growth period, the mulberry branches basically have no leaves, the light intensity in the mulberry orchard is good, and the light energy utilization rate is high. Moreover, because the residues after harvesting vegetables and other crops can be turned in as green manure, it not only improves soil fertility and saves the cost of fertilizer input in the mulberry orchard, but also, because no pesticides are used in the whole process, it will not cause pollution to the mulberry orchard, nor will it affect silkworm raising the following year. The social benefits are also very significant.

II. Cases of poverty alleviation and prosperity through intercropping vegetables in mulberry orchards in winter

Intercropping vegetables in mulberry orchards can both increase income and keep villagers who went out to work.” Recently, at the sericulture science popularization demonstration base in Shuanglong Village, Zhuoshui Town, Qianjiang District, Chongqing, Su Haiyan talked with the author while weeding.

Shuanglong Village is located on the hillside west of the ancient town of Zhuoshui. Su Haiyan began planting mulberry and raising silkworms in 2005, and the mulberry orchard area grew from the initial 14 mu to the current 300 mu. Over more than 10 years, she turned Shuanglong’s “barren hills” into a “mulberry sea.” In 2014, she was rated by Chongqing as a “rural science popularization leader.”

After the late autumn silkworm rearing ended, the local government actively guided silkworm farmers to make full use of the favorable opportunity of winter dormancy in mulberry orchards and intercrop vegetables under the mulberry trees to improve the comprehensive benefits of the mulberry orchard.

“In 2015, the sericulture base intercropped vegetables such as green vegetables, Chinese cabbage and ercai, achieving sales income of 210,000 yuan. At the same time, it also drove 19 poor households to grow vegetables and increase income, and provided seasonal work for more than 20 left-behind villagers.” Looking at the 100 mu of intercropped vegetables in front of her, Su Haiyan said with a smile.

It is understood that intercropping in mulberry orchards can increase income by about 1000 yuan per mu, greatly improving economic benefits. Before and after intercropping, through weeding, loosening soil and fertilizing, it is helpful to eliminate overwintering pests. After the vegetables are harvested, burying vegetable stalks and old leaves in the mulberry orchard helps increase organic fertilizer in the mulberry orchard and improve the soil fertility structure. The benefits of intercropping in mulberry orchards can be said to be “a whole basketful.”