Planting alternating rows of different crops can produce greater yields than planting them in single-species plots: the technique, known as intercropping, has been used in China for thousands of years, but only recently became a subject of formal research.
Traditionally, one of the crops is usually a legume. These fix nitrogen in soils and, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also release acids that make it easier for other plants to absorb phosphorus. That in turn allows farmers to use less phosphate fertilizers.
It's always pleasant to read about these low-tech, high-efficiency approaches to farming: to feed a rapidly growing world on already-overstressed land, we need all the help we can get.
Capital-intensive, gene-scrambling biotech isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's not an answer in itself. (For another low-tech but sophisticated farming technique, read this Wired take on smart breeding.)
Scientists find why some plants are good neighbours [SciDev.Net]
Image: University of Oregon*
