Intercropping strategies for abiotic stress tolerance and nutrient acquisition

Abstract

Abiotic stresses, including drought, extreme temperatures, salinity and nutrient deficiencies, significantly reduce global crop productivity, posing major challenges to food security, particularly in arid and semiarid regions. Climate change intensifies these stresses, emphasizing the need for resilient agricultural systems. Intercropping has emerged as a sustainable strategy to mitigate these impacts by enhancing soil moisture retention, regulating root-zone temperatures and optimizing nutrient acquisition. For instance, legume-cereal systems like maize-pigeon pea improve drought resilience, while peanut-maize intercropping enhances iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P) nutrition in calcareous soils. Agroforestry practices, such as wheat intercropped with alfalfa, increase water use efficiency and reduce soil salinity. These approaches offer practical solutions for smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change while improving crop tolerance to abiotic stresses. This study evaluates various intercropping systems to identify optimal practices tailored to specific environmental conditions, supporting food security and sustainable agricultural practices. By promoting agricultural sustainability, intercropping provides a pathway to mitigate the effects of climate change and secure global food production.