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Study assesses the benefits of alfalfa-almond intercropping

2025-01-08
(Press-News.org) The practice of growing different but complementary plants within a given area, also known as intercropping, has numerous positive effects such as reduced soil erosion, weed suppression, nitrogen fixation (the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to nitrogen compounds that can be used by plants and other organisms), and pollinator benefits. New research published in Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment reveals the increased land use efficiency and environmental benefits in an alfalfa–almond intercropped ecosystem under a Mediterranean climate.

Investigators found that intercropping alfalfa plants with almond trees during the winter (when almond trees are dormant) reduced field water loss via evaporation and significantly reduced winter soil nitrate leaching compared with control plots.

The findings indicate that intercropping alfalfa can be a viable approach to capture and convert winter rain and nitrogen losses into revenues for almond farmers.

“The ecosystem benefits observed in this unique alfalfa-almond intercropped agroecosystem were mainly attributed to augmentation in farm resource use efficiency and revenues generated during the normally non-productive winter season,” said corresponding author Touyee Thao, PhD, of USDA-ARS, San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center. “Other aspects such as tree growth and productivity, soil microbial activity, and plant root interaction are also being investigated by colleague researchers.”

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/agg2.70024

 

Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment is a gold open access journal publishing studies focusing across all aspects of agriculture, plant, environmental, and soil science that are also limited in geography or time. The journal also accepts confirmatory articles and reports of negative results.

About Wiley      
Wiley is one of the world’s largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning. Our industry-leading content, services, platforms, and knowledge networks are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, including researchers, students, instructors, professionals, institutions, and corporations. We empower knowledge-seekers to transform today’s biggest obstacles into tomorrow’s brightest opportunities. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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[Press-News.org] Study assesses the benefits of alfalfa-almond intercropping