benefits of polyculture One of the core elements behind the Symbioculture approach is the use of specially designed crop polycultures in combination with additional components such as livestock and insects. Polyculture cropping has been studied for decades and has certain known benefits. Some of these include: › Increased overall yields. By stacking crops and combining them in space saving combinations, a single area can produces up to three times the amount of product for sale per year. Though yields of individual products may decrease, the overall production increases, which is why a focus on a retail sales channel is key to market success. › Reduced labor per crop. Labor remains high in any agricultural system, particularly one focused on in-soil production and that requires manual work. However, relative labor per amount of crop output decreases in a polyculture design. Though pruning and harvesting labor remain the same, the labor required for site preparation, weeding, irrigation, and pest control are largely combined. One hectare of cultivation will have roughly the same site preparation and weeding demands whether it produces one or multiple crops. › Reduced pest damage. When correctly executed, intercropping can reduce damage from pests by providing a mixed pattern of plants and slowing insects down when they are searching for their preferred food. Intercropping with beneficial “companion plants” can also repel pests. In the designs included here, marigolds are used to repel nematodes in the soil, which is a common problem in many soil-based greenhouses. Chickens are also oſten used as a natural pest control agent in polyculture systems since they do not damage vegetable crops, but bring added benefits: aerating soil through scratching and picking out pests. › Improved soil health and quality. Different plants place different demands on the soil they are grown in. By cycling multiple plant types in annual crop rotations and interplanting crops, the depletion of soil can be reduced and beneficial communities of aerobic organisms can be supported. Growing mushrooms in soil along with plants has also been shown in certain trials to have great benefits for the soil quality and plants’ ability to absorb nutrients. › Connecting material streams. In a complete polyculture that has both crops and livestock, “wastes” created within the system can be reused internally in a nearly complete cycle. For example, plant waste can be reused as mulch or fish feed, while animal wastes are processed into nutrient supplements. › Reduced need for technological interventions. A full polyculture system also reduces the need for certain costly technological interventions. Rather than shading plants using mechanical screens, shade-loving plants are intercropped below plants with a high demand for direct sunlight. In a similar fashion, supplemental CO2 generators or the combustion of fossil fuels. Some challenges include dealing with the relatively closed conditions inside a greenhouse, which can concentrate pests and prevent the natural flow of beneficial insects into the space. Along these lines, natural pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, do not generally do well inside greenhouses. As a result, some of the benefits of the polyculture approach are lost. Another limitation of the use of polycultures in greenhouse conditions is the fact that greenhouses are typically costly to operate and maintain, and as a result, it does not always make economic sense to grow many low-value crops within a greenhouse even if it is of benefit to the polyculture. For this reason, a complete Symbioculture would ideally include both indoor and outdoor horticulture in combination. is provided by mushroom cultivation, chickens, and composting rather than by CO2 GREENHOUSE POLYCULTURE Applying these principles within a commercial greenhouse presents additional unique advantages and challenges. Some of the primary advantages include season extension through the controlled climate and the avoidance of many pests (particularly birds). The greenhouse structure can also be used to add additional hanging elements and effectively create more “layering” within a polyculture. 10 / 64 Pagina 9
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