Nghe An farmers save costs and reduce risks from intercropping

Intercropping green squash in the Dien grapefruit garden of Mr. Phan Ba ​​Thang (Thanh Lien commune, Thanh Chuong district). Photo: Thanh Phuc

In 2017, when receiving 1.3 hectares of land for bidding in Lien Duc field, Mr. Phan Ba ​​Thang (born in 1977, Lien Duc hamlet, Thanh Lien commune, Thanh Chuong district) planned it into a family farm model.fruit tree planting, mainly Dien grapefruit, pear guava and Thai jackfruit. These are perennial trees, taking 3-4 years to harvest, so when the grapefruit has not closed its canopy, the jackfruit has not developed, the open space between rows and trees, if left fallow, is very wasteful.

After researching several places and looking for information on newspapers and radio, Mr. Thang decided tointercroppingPlants such as squash, cucumber, corn, etc. in the grapefruit garden when the trees are still low; when the grapefruit starts to bear fruit and the canopy begins to close, he plants low-growing plants that do not need trellises, such as pumpkin, soybeans, ginger, etc. When fruit trees such as grapefruit and lychee have high, closed canopies and do not have enough light or nutrients to intercrop, he switches to raising chickens, ducks and pigs under the canopy, both ensuring income and providing additional fertilizer for the soil.

Thanks to intercropping, production costs are reduced by maintaining soil moisture, limiting weeds, and limiting pesticides. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Phan Ba ​​Thang shared: “This intercropping method is very beneficial. In the first 3 years, the farm’s main source of income was from squash and cucumbers. In a good year, the price was good and the income was tens of millions of dong. Currently, grapefruits are bearing fruit early, the canopy is starting to close, so after harvesting the squash, we will switch to planting pumpkins or legumes. In particular, thanks to intercropping, we can prevent weeds, keep the soil moist and limit the use of pesticides. Therefore, agricultural products are guaranteed to be safe, favored by the market, and the selling price is also higher. On the other hand, it also reduces risks for growers when there is mutual compensation and deduction in the income of each crop season.”

Every year, intercropping squash in his grapefruit garden helps Mr. Thang earn 100 million VND to "make ends meet". Photo: Thanh Phuc

There are currently no specific statistics onintercropping areain the province. However, in recent years, the model of intercropping short-term crops on fruit tree growing areas has been increasingly expanded. It can be affirmed that intercropping short-term crops on perennial crop areas, or intercropping many types of plants on the same area has been and is bringing much higher economic efficiency than planting only one type of plant on the same unit of cultivated land area.

This is not only a form of short-term gain for long-term gain, taking advantage of vacant land to create stable income during the time when fruit trees have not yet been harvested, but this intercropping also creates some soil improvement effects, such as helping to cover the ground during the time when fruit trees are in the growing stage, helping to prevent erosion, kill weeds (without the need to use herbicides that pollute the environment), contributing to soil improvement, increasing nitrogen sources in the soil; preventing erosion; helping to better manage harmful diseases...

The model of growing guava intercropped with lemongrass is also being applied by many farmers in Nghia Dan. Photo: Thanh Phuc

However, to make intercropping effective, it is necessary to pay attention to the soil and characteristics of each type to make appropriate choices; choose intercropping objects suitable for each stage of development of the main crop. In addition, when intercropping, it is necessary to pay attention to the distance between crops, the compatibility between intercropped plants and the main crop, creating the best conditions for the plants to grow.