Can Alley Cropping Support Soil Health?

Authors

Date of this Version

8-2017

Citation

Working Trees Info, August 2017

United States Department of Agriculture, National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, Nebraska

Comments

United States government work

Abstract

Can alley cropping support soil health?

Alley cropping, the planting of rows of trees and/or shrubs to create alleys within which agricultural or horticultural crops are produced, can improve soil health and provide other benefits.

Alley cropping is one of several soil health management practices designed to increase organic matter, infiltration rates, water holding capacity, soil biological diversity and, with these changes, enhance crop yields.