Intercropping Corn & Beans Boosts Soil Fertility in Laos
Trials by farmers in the northern green highlands of FRB’s Laos-Xieng Khouang program have shown that planting beans in between rows of corn plants is improving the soil and increasing yields.
An increasing population, not enough land, and deteriorating soil fertility have all contributed to local farmers’ worry, “How long will my family be able to survive off this land?” They’ve got clear evidence that beans replace the nitrogen used by corn. By intercropping beans and corn and increasing the overall organic matter in the soil, they’re improving their depleted soils and seeing higher corn yields.