Sometimes, the most beneficial effects are achieved when a cover crop is seeded nearby and at the same time as an income-producing crop. To maximize cash flow and still receive cover crop benefits, cover crops can be planted in field borders or in occasional strips between income crops. Cover crops used in this way serve as trap crops for insects, habitat for beneficial insects, food for pollinators, and windbreaks. Many other benefits are possible, depending on the species selected. The strategy of planting multiple plant species in area to achieve ecological and biological benefits is often referred to as farmscaping. Because cover crops are spatially separated from income-producing crops, this approach provides the most flexibility when selecting a cover crop species.
Cover crops planted between crop rows are known as living mulches. Living mulches planted in between-row areas suppress weeds and provide soil protection by creating a cleaner work area that is amendable to foot and equipment traffic. Living mulches are also totally biodegradable, and return valuable organic matter back to the soil at the end of the season.
Two or more crops planted close enough so that they interact during at least part of their life cycles is called intercropping. Producers interested in intercropping must pay careful attention to seeding dates, rates, growth habits, and resource needs to avoid competition with income-producing crops. Cover crops can be seeded at the same time as planting the income-producing crop as long as they do not compete with the income crop for light, water, nutrients, or other resources. Select cover crop species that reach maturity earlier or later than the income-producing crop, or will be terminated by heat or cold temperatures that the income-producing crop can easily withstand. Intercropping cover crops and income-producing crops is not as common as intercropping with two income-producing crops.
