Effects of Cotton–Peanut Intercropping Patterns on Cotton Yield Formation and Economic Benefits

Abstract

Intercropping has been widely adopted by farmers because it often enhances crop productivity and economic returns. However, to increase the comprehensive production benefits of agricultural cultivation and increase the economic benefits of cotton in Northwest Shandong Province, a set of green, ecological, and efficient intercropping mode suitable for Northwest Shandong Province was preliminarily formed. A 2-year intercropping experiment was conducted in Xiajin and Dongping counties in Shandong Province, with six alternative intercropping patterns proposed. After analyzing the experimental data, it was determined that the traditional cotton–peanut intercropping method is not mechanized and that a new intercropping mode has been proposed: four rows of cotton and six rows of peanut. We selected the appropriate intercropping mode for Xiajin and Dongping counties. The production efficiency of 4:4 cotton intercropping in Peanut Ridge was the best in Dongping and Xiajin counties, which was 28–123% higher than that of monoculture. This planting pattern is suitable for demonstration and promotion in the two counties, as well as in the traditional cotton area of the old Yellow River in Northwest Shandong.