Intercropping Systems in Wheat (Triticum sativum L.) for Insect Pests and Disease Management – A Review

Abstract

Cereal crop wheat, Triticum sativum L., is an important food and feed crop that is grown all over the world. There is a complementary relationship between legumes and cereals for nitrogen resources, it was found that intercropped legumes acquire a higher amount of atmospheric nitrogen in comparison to legumes grown as an individual crop. Furthermore, both wheat and pulse intercropping give benefits in terms of minimizing pests and diseases. Intercropping not only restricts onset of pest species but also crop combinations conserves beneficial insects that can preserve the damaging pest population below the threshold level. In the current study, numerous instances were provided that show successful control of various insect pests when wheat was intercropped with mustard, Linseed, barley, mung bean, canola, and other crops. Wheat intercropping with other crops can be used as part of an integrated pest management strategy to reduce pest incidence while also increasing the number of beneficial organisms.

Agroecological concepts and alternatives to the problems of contemporary agriculture: Monoculture and chemical fertilization in the context of climate change

“…Intercropping is the simultaneous cultivation of one or more species, in the same plot and for at least one growing season, interacting with each other and with the agroecosystem (Esnarriaga et al, 2020;Kaur et al, 2021). This is a key strategy in agroecology since it supports the hypothesis that the complementarity of nutrient acquisition between associated species allows efficient exploitation of environmental resources (Wezel et al, 2014).…”

“…Although this cropping system is commercially efficient and profitable, it provides an unbuffered niche for parasitic species, increasing the crop's vulnerability to opportunistic insects, plants, and microorganisms (Blary et al, 2021;Dolezal et al, 2019;Suarez et al, 2023). Because a single crop is more vulnerable to a particular pathogen or pest, it accelerates the spread of diseases and pest outbreaks (Biber-Freudenberger et al, 2016;Cui et al, 2023;Kaur et al, 2021), increasing farmers' intensive reliance on pesticides and fertilizers, which affects water quality, human health, and wildlife population (Rahman, 2023). Increased use of chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides will ultimately increase emissions of greenhouse gases such as N2O (Reza & Sabau, 2022).…”

“…Agroecological intercropping offers a solution to mitigate the risks associated with monoculture in agriculture. Intercropping disrupts pest and disease buildup (Gao et al, 2014;Hei et al, 2022;Kaur et al, 2021;Peeters et al, 2013), improves nutrient efficiency, enhances soil health (Cuartero et al, 2022;He et al, 2021;Wezel, 2017;Wezel et al, 2014), and promotes biodiversity (Bybee-Finley & Ryan, 2018;Jeanneret et al, 2021;Petit et al, 2020;Thiesen et al, 2022). Intercropping also provides economic benefits and climate resilience, resulting in a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system.…”