How is agroforestry different from intercropping?

Some may assume that intercropping and agroforestry are the same because of certain similarities, but the truth is they are different from each other. Intercropping is used more by people who are living in arable land.

They normally use crops that will not compete with each other and will all grow well together in order to increase the yield of the crops. For agroforestry, there are also crops that are mixed in, but there are also some trees and shrubs that are considered.

The main goal of agroforestry is to prevent the soil from contaminating the water that will be taken by the crops to produce better crops at the right time.

Some people become confused with the differences between agroforestry and intercropping. They think that these two concepts are the same. The similarity may be the fact that there are certain plants or trees that will be planted near each other so that they will help each other grow.

For intercropping, all of the plants are planted with the main crop so that they can grow together. For agroforestry, there are rows that are being followed in order to make things organized.

The main goal of both types of strategies is to produce more crops. It will depend on the area where this is done which among the two strategies will work more.

Intercropping and agroforestry are very similar. They have some of the same characteristics like growing something else in between or near the crops that a farmer is growing. However, there are a few differences. The main difference is that the other crop of plant that is planted next to the crop differs for agroforestry than intercropping. In intercropping, other crops are planted with the main crop. It may be one more crop or it could be more.

In agroforestry, usually trees or bushes are planted within the rows of crops. Both ideas want the same result and that is to produce more of the main crop. The other trees, bushes or crops that are not the main crop really don’t matter as long as the main crop flourishes.

Agroforestry is a land use system in which perennial crops is grown with agricultural crops or pasture for ecological and economic benefits. It shares principles with intercropping. As both place two or more plant species in close proximity and both provide multiple output.

However, agroforestry has some features that intercropping lacks. Agroforestry can also involve raising livestock within the same region that agroforestry is practice.

Intercropping is simply growing two or more crops together at the same time in the same space in a beneficial manner. The purpose of this is to make use of resources that would not be utilized by a single crop.