If intercropping (IC) is so little explored today, it is probably due to the difficulty of answering all the questions raised by the practice: Which species to combine? When and how to sow? How to manage pests and diseases, weed control operations and phytosanitary treatments? What opportunities are possible? And for which environmental, health or economic purposes?
Una sfida per la produzione biologica è quella di aumentare le rese. Le colture miste che contengono legumi azotofissatori come uno dei componenti hanno il potenziale per fornire una soluzione a questo obiettivo. In generale, le colture miste consentono un uso più efficiente del suolo.
No-till cropping systems with cover crops can improve soil health, but often rely on glyphosate, which is a contentious herbicide. In this study, we investigated whether a system based on the direct sowing of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in the dead mulch of a roller-crimped hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) could be competitive with a system where glyphosate is also sprayed to terminate the cover crop and to control weeds.