Multiple cropping

In agriculture, multiple cropping is the practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same space during a single growing season. It is a form of polyculture. A related practice, companion planting, is sometimes used in gardening and intensive cultivation of vegetables and fruits. One example of multi-cropping is tomatoes + onions + marigold; the marigolds repel some of tomato's pests.

Multiple cropping is found in many agricultural traditions. In the Garhwal Himalaya of India, a practice called baranaja involves sowing 12 or more crops on the same plot, including various types of beans, grams, and millets, and harvesting them at different times.

One kind of multiple cropping is intercropping, where an additional crop is planted in the spaces available between the main crop.

See also

• succession planting
• nurse crop
• home gardens
• forest gardening