companion planting

Noun

companion planting (countable and uncountable, plural companion plantings)

1. (uncountable) A type of interplanting in which two or more crops are grown in an interspersed or juxtaposed manner so as to enjoy mutual benefit from one another's presence (for example, attraction of pollinators or repulsion of pests).
   • The selection of a crop for planting patterns also affects the metal uptake by plants. Liu et al. (2012) studied the effect of crops (maize [Zea mays], tomato, cabbage, and pakchoi), and different planting patterns such as monoculture crops companion-planted with a legume, and crop companion...2019, “Agronomic Management for Cadmium Stress Mitigation”, in Mirza Hasanuzzaman, Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad, and Kamrun Nahar, editor, Cadmium Tolerance in Plants: Agronomic, Molecular...
   • Perennial forage legumes yield poorly in the first planting year[;] therefore[,] companion planting of annual forage legumes with perennial legumes during their crop establishment period is generally suggested. […] Sugarcane consumes a huge amount of nutrients from soil reservoirs, but its...2022, “Legume-based inter-cropping to achieve the crop, soil, and environmental health security”, in Ram Swaroop Meena and Sandeep Kumar, editors, Advances in Legumes for Sustainable Intensification...

   Synonyms:

   cocropping, coplanting

2. (countable) An instance of such planting; a set of plants thus created; a single plant so planted.

   Synonyms:

   companion plants, companion plant