Detailed Explanation of Key Techniques for Lily Intercropping and Relay Cropping

In the Taihu Lake region of southern China, lily production often uses intercropping and relay cropping to increase income per unit area. Practicing intercropping and relay cropping has some effects on lily growth, and bulb yield decreases somewhat, but the total income per unit area is higher than the returns from monocropped lilies. If the timing and management of intercropping and relay cropping are arranged properly, it is beneficial to lily growth and can also achieve high yields at the same time.

Yixing lilies are propagated from daughter bulbs, require a large amount of seed, multiply only 2.5-3.5 times in one year, and the ground space is idle for a considerable period. The local experience in arranging intercropping and relay cropping is: plant lilies in September-October, and they emerge in mid-to-late March of the following spring, leaving about 5-6 months of ground space available for use. If lilies are planted early, that is, interplant radishes in early-to-mid September, the radishes can be harvested and marketed in late November. If lilies are planted late, then dark green leafy vegetables, Chinese cabbage, etc. can be intercropped, supplied to the market in winter and spring, and the returns are also relatively high.

After the lilies emerge, relay crop summer-autumn maturing crops, with ginger being the best, as it has a mutually promoting effect with lilies. Ginger is sprouted in mid-April and relay cropped in early May. Generally, one row of ginger is intercropped between two rows of lilies, and the ginger density is about 4000-5000 hills per mu. When practicing intercropping and relay cropping, the following points should be noted: 1) The plant and row spacing of lilies should be neat and uniform, so as to facilitate planting intercrops and also benefit crop harvest. 2) Increase the amount and frequency of fertilization to ensure the soil contains sufficient nutrients and meet the growth needs of lilies and intercropped and relay cropped crops. 3) The plant and row spacing for intercropping and relay cropping is generally larger than for monocropping, so as not to affect lily growth.