Intercropping and improved fertilization strategies affect crop yield and nitrogen pools across Northern and Western Europe in organic vegetable production

Summary

Vegetable intercropping systems can improve the productivity of organic vegetables through complementary resource use, but interspecific competition may decrease yields. Nutrient availability and yield response to different fertilization strategies strongly depended on the fertilizer properties, and soil improvers influenced results of productivity, nitrogen use efficiency and soil microbial activity compared to the fast releasing fertilizers alone. Plant-based fertilization can be an efficient alternative to animal manures.