Being the kernel of the traditional agriculture of China, and one of the major practices in developing ecological agriculture, intercropping still occupies an important position in modern agriculture in China as well as other parts of the world. One of the advantages of intercropping are higher yields relative to monocultures,...

Intercropping is one of the traditional farming systems practiced by farmers in China for more than 2,000 years with some intriguing ecological principles. Previous studies have shown that intercropping enhances not only crop productivity but also the efficient utilization of resources, both above-ground and below-ground. Recent research efforts have made...

In semi-arid cropping regions of West Africa, fallow periods are getting shorter. As land becomes more scarce, farmers are not able to give their soils enough time to rest. This is leading to depletion of soil organic matter, severely threatening soil fertility and damaging soil structure. In the worst cases,...

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in the Sahel whose economy is highly dominated by agriculture and livestock husbandry, with more than 70% of the population living in rural areas. The prevailing farming system is smallholder agriculture based on cereal production, especially sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and pearl millet...

Mozambique has a population of about 25 million people. Most live in rural areas and rely on farming for all or part of their household income. Located on Africa’s south-eastern seaboard, the country encompasses biodiversity sites of great significance. Today agriculture is said to account for 25% of Mozambique’s gross domestic...

In Mali, agriculture is the main source of employment. Over 80% of the population is engaged in agriculture that is mostly carried out by small farmers with income of less than US$1 per day. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an important cereal grain used as food and animal fodder...