Intercropping system: A climate-smart approach for sustaining food security

Abstract

The present-day agriculture is facing a tremendous problem in achieving the global food security in the context of the climate change scenario with ever-increasing human population. To combat with the situation, there is an urgent need to adopt proven improved technologies that can ensure food and nutritional security as well as agricultural sustainability. In this regard, adoption of appropriate cropping system can play a vital role. The age-old practice of intercropping system has multifaceted benefits for the enhancement of gross productivity and farm income under a given time. Most of the earlier studies focused to assess the benefits of an intercropping system in the light of yield enhancement and monetary advantages spatially and temporally. Moreover, recent studies highlighted other advantages such as greater ecosystem services, efficient utilization of solar radiation and CO2, enhancement of water, and nutrient use efficiency in the mixed stand, However, in the current consequence of climate change, it is the need of the hour to re-investigate the intercropping system as a mitigation and adaptation option to encounter the ill effects of climate change in agriculture. In this regard, an attempt has been made in the review article to evaluate the potential of the intercropping system as a water, energy, nutrient, carbon, and climate-smart technology that can facilitate in achieving some of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 15 (life on land).