Intercropping boosts crop growth and yield for sustainable agriculture.
Intercropping wheat with lentil or chickpea can affect the growth and yield of the crops. The study looked at different planting configurations to see how it impacted the crops. Overall, the growth and yield were better when the crops were grown alone rather than together. Wheat did best when grown alone, while lentil and chickpea had higher yields when intercropped. The best planting configurations varied between wheat-lentil and wheat-chickpea intercropping. Lentil had more branches and seeds when grown alone, but chickpea had higher yields when intercropped. Intercropping increased plant height and seed size in lentil and chickpea. Lentil equivalent yield was highest in wheat-lentil intercropping, while chickpea equivalent yield was highest in wheat-chickpea intercropping.