Département des sciences naturelles and Institut des sciences de la forêt tempérée (ISFORT), Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), 58 rue Principale, Ripon, QC J0V 1V0, Canada.
Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal QcH3C 3P8, Canada.
Sci Total Environ. 2018 Feb 15;615:767-772. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.024. Epub 2017 Oct 17.
Satisfying the nutritional needs of a growing population whilst limiting environmental repercussions will require sustainable intensification of agriculture. We argue that intercropping, which is the simultaneous production of multiple crops on the same area of land, could play an essential role in this intensification. We carried out the first global meta-analysis on the multifaceted benefits of intercropping. The objective of this study was to determine the benefits of intercropping in terms of energetic, economic and land-sparing potential through the framework of the stress-gradient hypothesis. We expected more intercropping benefits under stressful abiotic conditions. From 126 studies that were retrieved from the scientific literature, 939 intercropping observations were considered. When compared to the same area of land that was managed in monoculture, intercrops produced 38% more gross energy (mean relative land output of 1.38) and 33% more gross incomes (mean relative land output of 1.33) on average, whilst using 23% less land (mean land equivalent ratio of 1.30). Irrigation and the aridity index in non-irrigated intercrops did not affect land equivalent ratio, thereby indicating that intercropping remains beneficial, both under stressful and non-stressful contexts concerning moisture availability. Fertilisation and intercropping patterns (rows and strips vs. mixed) did not affect land equivalent ratio. Although intercropping offers a great opportunity for intensification of existing agricultural lands, many challenges need to be tackled by experts from multiple disciplines to ensure its feasible implementation.
满足不断增长的人口的营养需求，同时限制环境影响，这将需要农业的可持续集约化。我们认为，间作（即在同一块土地上同时种植多种作物）可以在这种集约化中发挥重要作用。我们对间作的多方面效益进行了首次全球元分析。本研究的目的是通过胁迫梯度假说的框架，确定间作在能源、经济和节约土地方面的效益。我们预计在非生物胁迫条件下，间作的效益会更多。从科学文献中检索到的 126 项研究中，考虑了 939 项间作观测值。与单一种植管理的相同面积土地相比，间作平均可生产 38%的总能量（平均相对土地产量为 1.38）和 33%的总收入（平均相对土地产量为 1.33），而土地使用量减少 23%（平均土地当量比为 1.30）。灌溉和非灌溉间作的干旱指数并不影响土地当量比，这表明间作在水分供应方面的胁迫和非胁迫环境下仍然是有益的。施肥和间作模式（行和条间作与混合间作）并不影响土地当量比。虽然间作为现有农业土地的集约化提供了很好的机会，但需要多学科专家解决许多挑战，以确保其可行的实施。
