Modelling intercropping in SWAT+

[Ilef Abid]

Hello everyone, 

I m working on hydrological modeling using swat+ and i would like to represent an intercropping system.

since SWAT+ does not explicitly support intercroppi,g systems, i m wondering : How can I reprensent properly intercropping ? 

Any guidance, exemples, or references would be greatly appreciated. 

thank you. 

[Natalja C.]

Hi,

Setting up intercropping in SWAT+ can be done through the management schedules (management.sch) by utilizing multiple operation lines within the same growing season.

Instead of a single plant-and-harvest sequence, you can schedule a plant operation for your primary crop, and then add a subsequent plant operation for your secondary/intercropped species before the first one is harvested. You will need to carefully manage the specific dates for both crops to ensure their growth cycles overlap correctly according to your field conditions.

Just keep in mind that the model will simulate competing demands for light, water, and nutrients based on their respective plant parameters, so you may need to adjust your community or land use settings to accurately capture the shared biometric dynamics.
Make sure you initialize both crops in your plant.ini.

To correct your statement: swat+ explicitly supports intercropping systems.

Best regards,

Natalja