What are the benefits of intercropping cotton with Pinellia ternata?

Through our trials, intercropping Pinellia ternata in cotton fields shows no "conflict" between the two, neither crop's yield decreases, and an additional 80-100 kg of dried Pinellia ternata medicinal material can be harvested per mu, increasing income. The benefits of intercropping Pinellia ternata in cotton fields are mainly shown in the following aspects:

1. Clever use of the time difference. According to the characteristics of Pinellia ternata, it grows well from March to June without shade, and from July to September Pinellia ternata must grow under shaded conditions, and at this time cotton enters a rapid growth stage with luxuriant branches and leaves, creating a good microclimate for the normal growth of Pinellia ternata.

2. Full use of light energy. Cotton is suited to growing under conditions of sufficient light and good ventilation, while Pinellia ternata, after July, likes to grow in a shaded environment. It just happens that cotton absorbs strong light, and the "residual light" scattered to the ground is used by Pinellia ternata. The two do not compete for light, and this is beneficial to the growth of Pinellia ternata.

3. Fertilizer and water are fully utilized. Pinellia ternata is a shallow-rooted plant, with most of its roots distributed in the topsoil about 5 cm deep, while cotton is a deep-rooted plant, so the conflict between the two in competing for fertilizer and water is very small.

4. Clever combination of tall and short, sparse and dense. This increases the multiple cropping index of the land. Cotton is a tall crop planted sparsely, with 1000-1500 plants retained per mu. Pinellia ternata, however, generally has a plant height of less than 10 cm, and 180,000 plants need to be retained per mu.

5. Saves labor and pesticides. Pinellia ternata is not afraid of being stepped on or hoed, and can sprout multiple times a year, so there is no need to avoid Pinellia ternata when carrying out operations in the cotton field. Common pests of Pinellia ternata include aphids and red spiders, which can be killed by spraying 800-fold 90% trichlorfon solution in conjunction with cotton pest control. When controlling cotton diseases and pests, the diseases and pests of Pinellia ternata are also controlled at the same time, saving labor and pesticides.