What are the latest principles and precautions for vegetable intercropping?

In order to make full use of the land, many regions in China adopt intercropping methods to grow vegetables, which can also increase a portion of the income, but many growers have a low production level, and intercropping means randomly mixing vegetable varieties, which often backfires. So what should be noted in vegetable intercropping? Let's learn about it together.

I. Principles of vegetable intercropping

1. Vegetables with similar sowing, planting and harvest periods should be chosen for intercropping, so as to facilitate unified cultivation and field management and allow the plot to be vacated in time.

2. The nutrient requirements and root distribution of the intercropped vegetable varieties should be different, so as to make full use of soil fertility. For example, when kidney beans are intercropped with corn, kidney bean roots are deep and need little nitrogen fertilizer, while corn roots are shallow and need more nitrogen fertilizer, so land resources can be perfectly utilized.

3. The plant heights of the two types of vegetables should be different, so as to facilitate ventilation and air movement and make full use of light energy, for example, cucumber intercropped with cauliflower or Chinese cabbage, etc.

4. Reasonably combine long growing periods with short growing periods. For example, melons and solanaceous vegetables have long growing periods, so some short-season vegetables can be intercropped during their mid-growth period, such as baby bok choy, small radishes, amaranth, etc. These vegetables can be harvested in a short time and will not affect the growth of melons and solanaceous vegetables.

5. Light-loving and shade-tolerant vegetables should be paired. For example, cabbage likes a cold-tolerant and moisture-tolerant environment, so it can be intercropped with solanaceous and melon vegetables.

6. Combine vegetables harvested once with those harvested successively. Such as intercropping spring radish in tomato fields, intercropping spinach in eggplant fields, etc.

II. Precautions

First, vegetables of the same type and same family are susceptible to the same pests and diseases, so intercropping is not suitable; second, the planting density should be limited to the extent that it does not affect the growth of the main crop, that is, the intercropped vegetables must not affect the growth and development of the main planted vegetables; the main crop and the intercropped vegetables should both be taken into account during their symbiotic stage and field management. When a conflict arises between the two, the main crop should take priority, and the intercropped vegetables should be pulled out in time or intercropping should be stopped.

  The above is an introduction to the principles and precautions of vegetable intercropping. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please keep following us.