They contained more potassium and were a bigger size. Meanwhile, intercropping caused carrots to become smaller and generate a lower yield. The peas produced similar results across the board.
According to Wieger Wamelink, a co-author of the study and an ecologist at Wageningen University and Research, the carrots did not benefit from being planted alongside the peas and tomatoes because the taller plants blocked the sunlight from the carrots.
Although the results of the experiments were mixed, the findings can help improve farming practices in the future.
They will benefit not only Martian settlers but also farmers on Earth who are dealing with the effects of climate change, such as unpredictable rainfall and rising temperatures, which makes farming more challenging.
