Cotton–Soybean Intercropping: A Sustainable Solution for Pakistan’s Agriculture

Green Pakistan - گرین پاکستان , Snippets , / Tuesday, September 16th, 2025

By Muhammad Awais & Dr. Akash Fatima

Farmers worldwide are adopting sustainable agriculture to conserve soil, water, and biodiversity while ensuring food security. Unlike conventional methods, sustainable practices use crop rotation, natural fertilizers, and tree–crop integration to protect resources, reduce chemical pollution, and improve resilience against climate change. They also help absorb carbon dioxide, making farms allies in slowing global warming. Importantly, these methods maintain fertile soils and often lower costs for farmers.

For countries like Pakistan, sustainable farming has added value. Many nations spend heavily importing oilseeds such as soybeans and canola. By producing more locally, they can cut import bills, boost self-sufficiency, create jobs, and open new export opportunities. A stronger oilseed sector also ensures food security by protecting against trade disruptions.

One practical technique is intercropping, the planting of two or more crops in the same field. It improves soil health, makes better use of light and water, and reduces risks from pests and diseases. For instance, legumes like soybeans naturally fix nitrogen in the soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. Pairing them with crops like cotton enhances soil fertility and productivity.

In cotton–soybean intercropping, the benefits are especially promising. Soybeans enrich the soil with nitrogen, while cotton’s deeper roots improve soil structure. Their different heights allow efficient sharing of sunlight, and together they naturally suppress pests and diseases. Research confirms that combining these crops produces higher total yields than monocropping, while also reducing chemical inputs. Farmers gain a “backup” harvest if one crop underperforms, improving economic stability.

This system also helps rehabilitate degraded lands and makes efficient use of shrinking arable land in the face of urban expansion and climate change. By diversifying crops, intercropping boosts biodiversity, conserves resources, and strengthens resilience to droughts and floods.

From India to Africa to the United States, cotton–soybean intercropping has delivered better yields and healthier soils, proving its value across diverse farming systems. In Pakistan, adopting such methods can reduce costly imports, support rural economies, and secure long-term agricultural sustainability. Demonstration plots at MNSUAM already showcase these benefits in practice.

In conclusion, cotton–soybean intercropping offers Pakistan a smart, sustainable path to increase food and fiber production while conserving natural resources. By scaling up these environment-friendly practices, farmers can achieve higher productivity, resilience, and economic gains—ensuring agriculture remains a backbone of the nation’s future.