Alley cropping definition - What is the benefit of alley cropping?

The land that we need for growing food is very important. We can't afford to spoil it. There are many ways in which farmers could make better use of the land and grow good crops without the help of factory-made chemicals.

If it is farmed with care, the land will go on giving us enough food to eat for thousands of years to come.

One farming method is to mix trees and crops on the same piece of land.

This is called alley cropping. 

Rows of quick-growing, deep-rooted trees are planted a few yards apart, with rows of crops such as sorghum in between.

The trees help to prevent the soil from being blown or washed away. Their leaves rot and add to the humus in the soil.

 

Humus is made from dead plant matter. Tree shoots provide animal food and fuel for cooking. The trees and the sorghum take different nutrients from the soil, so they can grow side by side.