1MS Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha, India
2Research Centre for Smart Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha, India
3Department of Agricultural Science and Technology, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
Intercropping is one of the ancient cropping systems that involves growing two or more crops together in the same field. Effective intercropping system management warrants to prevent crops from competing for space, moisture, nutrients, sunlight, and other resources. Combining legumes and non-legumes in an intercropping system offers significant benefits, such as reducing moisture scarcity and nutrient stress, while boosting overall productivity and soil health. Legumes play a key role in enhancing the soil’s chemical, biological, and physical properties, which helps counteract the declining productivity often seen in cereal-based cropping systems. The critical factors are choosing the right intercrops, determining the optimal nitrogen doses for non-legumes, and considering the benefits of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) from legumes. Assessing the benefits of intercropping compared to sole cropping is vital for determining agricultural productivity. Intercropping systems should be evaluated for increased crop productivity and resource-use efficiency and their impact on soil health. This review highlights the potential of legume-based intercropping systems in improving soil quality.
The combination of legumes and non-legumes can ensure multi-faceted benefits towards agricultural sustainability.
The legume-based intercropping system can ensure the improvement of the soil health.
Intercropping system, Soil physical properties, Soil chemical properties, Soil biological properties, Agricultural sustainability, Smallholders
