Performance of Chickpea-Flax and Pea-Mustard Intercrops at Two Saskatchewan Sites in 2019.

Abstract

Intercropping is when two or more crops are grown together in the same field within the same growing season. There are numerous benefits to intercropping, some of which are increased yield of one or both crops, yield stability or reduced risk of crop failure, lower input costs of commercial fertilizer and pesticide applications. This is of interest to organic producers, conventional producers, and a growing number of producers who wish to change their mode of production from conventional to low-input agriculture. In the temperate growing zones the most popular intercrop combination is a legume with a non-legume. Legumes are good choice for intercropping due to their ability to fix nitrogen, which reduces their competition for nitrogen in an intercrop system. Intercropping with legumes could also achieve improved nutrient recovery from existing soil reserves. There is currently no published data on pulse/oilseed intercrops in western Canadian soils. My research addresses the need to document and understand the operative processes and mechanisms in pulse/oilseed intercrops through an initial exploration of the impact of the legumes and oilseed crops grown together and separately on grain production and nutrient cycling and availability. This information may assist in the implementation of effective of pulse/ oilseed intercrop systems in western Canada.