Synopses & Reviews
This study shows how classical ecological principles, especially those relating to competition and population ecology, can be applied to growing two or more crops together and how the approach can improve agricultural yields.
Review
"...marks an important step in the development of a theoretical framework for evaluating and designing intercrops." Ecology and Evolution"...deserves widespread attention." Ecology"...the author has managed to provide reasons (1) for the ecologist to consider intercropping as one of many methods for testing ecological theory, and (2) for the intercropping researcher to consider an ecological framework, in this well organized publication. The book should be of interest to both ecologists and intercropping researchers." M. P. Schellenberg, The Canadian Field-Naturalist
Synopsis
The practice of growing two or more crops together is widespread throughout the tropics and is becoming increasingly practised in temperate agriculture. This book shows, from a theoretical point of view, how classical ecological principles, especially those relating to crop competition and population ecology, can be applied to intercropping.
Table of Contents
Preface; 1. Introduction: intercrops and ecology; 2. The measurement of intercrop performance; 3. The competitive production principle; 4. Facilitation; 5. Mechanisms of the competitive production principle; 6. The environments modified to produce facilitation; 7. Special problems in intercrops involving perennials; 8. Weeds and intercrops; 9. Variability and intercrops; 10. Planning intercrops - a phenomenological approach; 11. Planning intercrops - a mechanistic approach; 12. Critical research directions for the future; References; Author index; Subject index.