Polyculture is agriculture using multiple crops in the same space, in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems, and avoiding large stands of single crops, or
monoculture. It includes
crop rotation,
multi-cropping,
intercropping,
companion planting,
beneficial weeds, and alley cropping. Polyculture, though it often requires more labor, has several advantages over monoculture:The diversity of crops avoids the susceptibility of monocultures to disease. For example, a
study in
China reported in
Nature showed that planting several varieties of
rice in the same field increased yields by 89%, largely because of a dramatic (94%) decrease in the incidence of disease, which made
pesticides redundant. The greater variety of crops provides habitat for more species, increasing local
biodiversity. This is one example of
Reconciliation Ecology, or accommodating biodiversity within human landscapes.
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