Have you been wondering which is better, polyculture vs monoculture? The global food industry is responsible for a third of the total greenhouse gas emissions we produce and how we farm plays a huge part in that.
However, there is still hope. If farmers adopted better practices, like the ones I’ll show you below, an extra 6.5 billion metric tonnes of CO2 could be sequestered into grasslands. Creating polycultures instead of monocultures is one of the most tangible ways to make that happen.
And you don’t need a farm to be part of it. The way you plant your own vegetables or fruit trees at home can be one of the best ways to shrink your family’s carbon footprint too.
This post is all about polyculture vs monoculture, and 7 real-world examples you can draw inspiration from at home today!
What Is a Polyculture?
A polyculture is raising or growing many types of plants, trees, animals or fish species in one area.
A monoculture is raising or growing just one type of plant, tree, animal or fish species in one area.
Why Is a Polyculture Better Than a Monoculture?
Reduces Weeds
Studies show that polycultures offer real protection against pests and weeds. This is because crops are different heights, which will help suppress weeds from taking over. This helps reduce the dependency on herbicides.
Increases Crop Production
One study found that when polycultures were harvested they produced 40% more food than in monocultures. Polycultures also allowed farmers to harvest their land more than once a year. This gives the farmers more diverse income streams rather than just relying on one type of crop and hoping it doesn’t fail.
Increases Soil Nutrients and Water
Because cropping, gardening and farming polycultures have different plant types, these feed the soil microbes in different ways which enriches the soil much better than monocultures. This means the soil structure is healthier, meaning water can be absorbed like a sponge, and there are more nutrients for the plants to absorb. Reducing the need for irrigation and synthetic fertilisers.
Increases Biodiversity
Increasing the number of plants or animals in an area is helping improve biodiversity. As polycultures create more habitats for wild animals than a monoculture does. This means there will be an increase in birds, bats, amphibians, and insects. This means the polyculture will start functioning more like an ecosystem rather than a barren corn field.
I know what you may be thinking. Won’t more wild animals eat my crops or vegetables? More likely than not, the animals that flock to the polycultures will be good for your crops or your garden. For example, a species of bird may come in and prey on tomato hornworms, which will help you protect your bumper tomato crop without pesticides, then the birds’ droppings give the soil an extra boost of nutrients. This is an example of a healthy ecosystem at work. While having extra wildlife on your land may mean a slight reduction in production, you’ll also be using a far fewer pesticides and insecticides.
One of my favourite documentaries is The Biggest Little Farm. Which follows Molly and John Chester as they build their own regenerative farm from scratch. You can see how they learn to work with nature to increase the productivity of their farm, making it healthier for everyone.
Builds Resilience to Climate Change
Because polycultures have a lot of diversity, they have greater resilience to climatic change, meaning they’re better at buffering against unpredictable weather and environmental stress. Polycultures also help decrease climate change. As the soil becomes healthier, it is more able to sequester carbon (drawing carbon down from the atmosphere and locking it away in the soil and plants).
7 Real-World Polyculture Examples
1. Polyculture Gardening
Polyculture gardening is growing many vegetable, herb, bean and flower plants all together so they can help each other out. One of the most common polyculture vegetable gardening practices is planting tomatoes, basil, and marigolds.
Marigolds have bright orange/yellow flowers which attract beneficial predatory insects like ladybugs and lacewings. These insects will help eat aphids before they go to the tomatoes. They also release a compound into the soil to deter soil pest species. Basil deters insect pests like tomato hornworms and whiteflies. It may also improve the flavour of your tomatoes. Basil and marigold love the same planting conditions as tomatoes. So, they are ideal to plant together, whether in a raised bed or a pot.
Some Other Polyculture Gardening Ideas to Try
Cucumber with beans, onions, strawberries, sunflowers, and celery
Potatoes with cabbage, eggplant, beans, peas, and sweetcorn
Capsicum/Pepper with carrots, onions, tomatoes, basil, peas, and beans
Onion with lettuces, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, tomato, and beetroot
2. Polyculture Farming
Polyculture farming is where there are multiple crops planted together, or grasses, and then several types of animals are integrated into the farm. Rotating crops and animals moves nutrients, builds healthy soil and adds more income streams for the farmer. Farmers may also plant cover crops. This is where non-cash crops are planted to protect the soil from drying out and to enrich the soil, when the cash crop is not being grown.
3. Polyculture Crops
Polyculture cropping is where multiple crops are planted together. The most famous example is the Three Sisters, made up of corn, beans, and pumpkin. This trio works so well because corn is the trellis for the beans to grow up. The beans create usable nitrogen in the soil, while the pumpkin suppresses the weeds. It is a win-win for the crops and the farmer.
4. Polyculture Fish Farming
Polyculture fish farming is one of the most fascinating polycultures I have learnt about in my studies. It is when fish farms add many species with different habitats and diets so they won’t prey on one another, mimicking an aquatic ecosystem. This helps reduce waste in the fish farm, which has been a big problem in monoculture fish farms. It also increases the productivity of the farm by adding more income sources.
5. Silvopasture: Farms Where Animals Graze Under the Trees
Silvopasture is where trees are planted in rows, and animals can move around and graze underneath them. The trees may be pine for wood, also fruit or nut trees for food, e.g., oak, chestnut, apples, and pears. These trees also provide more food sources for the animals, giving the animals a diverse diet. This again helps enrich the soil and the animals’ health, which gives the farmer more income streams as well.
6. Rice-Duck Farming: How Ducks Help Grow Rice Without Chemicals
Rice-duck farming is where thousands of ducklings will be raised each year on rice paddy fields. The ducks are used to eat insect pests, aerate the soil, fertilise the fields and control the weeds. The ducks will be sold for meat or kept for eggs at the end of the season, giving the farmer another income stream. Because the ducks handle pest control, weeding and fertilising, farmers can remove the need for herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers entirely. This means the farmer may be able to sell their rice as organic, which has a higher price point.
7. Guild Tree Planting: One Tree, Many Helpers
Guild tree planting is where many beneficial plants are planted around the central tree or crop to help improve it. This may be a fruit tree in the middle, e.g., an apple or a plum. Surrounding it might be chives and garlic to repel insects, strawberries or thyme to suppress weeds, clover to add nitrogen to the soil, and comfrey to bring nutrients up to the surface. This helps your fruit trees thrive and acts like an ecosystem with all the plants helping each other.
How to Start Your Own Polyculture at Home
To start your own polyculture at home, the next time you plant a vegetable in your garden, come back to this blog post, and look at what the best plants are to be planted near.
You could also try creating a fruit guild tree garden, by picking your main fruit trees, then adding your supporting plants around the base.
Support local growers and producers. Ask them if they use polycultures and learn what plants and animals they use to produce the great products they have.
This post was all about what is the difference between a polyculture and a monoculture. With 7 examples of polycultures and ways you can create a polyculture in your own backyard today!
Thank you for reading!
I hope you loved reading and learning about polycultures as much as I loved researching this topic for you. Let me know in the comments if you are going to start polyculture gardening or guild tree planting. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.
Georgia xoxo
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