Tamarack Farms Pea-Quinoa Intercrop
Ryan Pengelly, Tamarack Farms
To demonstrate the use of cover cropping strategies
Both the quinoa and the pea crops established successfully. Unfortunately, the quinoa sustained extreme insect damage (stem borer and goosefoot groundling moth) and so it did not yield any seed. Despite the virtual failure of the quinoa crop, the accompanying pea crop performed well. The peas were seeded at varying rates, and yields varied accordingly. The success of the pea crop, despite the failure of the quinoa crop, demonstrates the potential for intercropping to reduce risk to the producer within the cropping year.
The trial was designed to examine yield differences between pea and quinoa crops seeded at combinations of high, medium and low rates for both crops. Proposed benefits of intercropping include: 1) confusion of insect populations; 2) beneficial nutrient interactions such as nitrogen fixation; 3) support for crops prone to lodging; 4) increased combined yields; 5) mitigation of the risk of crop failure; 6) weed suppression; and 7) reduced input requirements and costs.