Mixed Planting

the combination of two or more crops in one area. Mixed planting makes possible fuller use of soil fertility, since the root systems of different plants develop in different soil layers. There also is greater use of solar energy, since the plants grow to various heights. The nitrogen supply of cereal grasses is improved by raising legumes and cereals together. Mixed plantings facilitate the mechanization of harvesting of lodging and strong-stemmed plants. The result is greater production per unit of land.

Commonly used mixed plantings include legumes with cereal grasses (clover with timothy, alfalfa with wheatgrass), vetches or peas with oats, corn with beans or soy, and mixtures of various cereal grasses (for example, wheat and rye). Mixed plantings are common in the USSR and other European countries, China, India, the United States, and Canada.