This is arguably the main, and most important benefit, not only for farmers, but for the environment, biodiversity and the battle to achieve net zero.
Intercropping can help farmers to actively improve soil health. Having a variety of root structures improves both soil drainage and the infiltration of nutrients and water, through physical disturbance of the soil to differing depths and architectures.
Species with strong tap roots, such as certain clover species or lucerne (alfalfa), help to break up areas of soil compaction, while plants with branching fibrous root systems, such as cocksfoot grass, can be useful improvers of soil crumb structure. In green manure systems, root structures can bind soil particles together, and help prevent loss of topsoil via erosion or run-off.
Diverse root systems in turn support a diverse and thriving micro- and macro-biological population belowground, enhancing organic matter decomposition and turnover, and releasing nutrients for root uptake. Increased organic matter content also has great benefits to soil structure, increasing aggregate formation and the amount of water the soil can retain. Altogether, these intricately linked mechanisms can be kickstarted into a positive feedback loop by increasing in-field plant diversity.
