The correct answer is: a) Cereals and legumes.
Intercropping is a cropping system in which two or more crops are grown simultaneously on the same piece of land. This can be done in a number of ways, such as by planting the crops in alternating rows, in blocks, or in a checkerboard pattern.
Intercropping has a number of benefits, including:
- Increased crop yields: Intercropping can increase crop yields by up to 50%. This is because the different crops can complement each other, using different resources such as water, nutrients, and sunlight.
- Reduced weed growth: Intercropping can help to reduce weed growth by shading the soil and competing with weeds for water and nutrients.
- Improved soil health: Intercropping can help to improve soil health by increasing organic matter content and reducing erosion.
- Increased biodiversity: Intercropping can increase biodiversity by providing habitat for a variety of plants and animals.
In Punjab, intercropping is often used to grow cereals and legumes. Cereals are a type of grain crop, such as wheat, rice, and corn. Legumes are a type of plant that produces pods, such as beans, peas, and lentils. Cereals and legumes are often intercropped because they have different nutrient requirements. Cereals are nitrogen-fixing plants, which means that they can take nitrogen from the air and convert it into a form that other plants can use. Legumes are not nitrogen-fixing plants, so they benefit from being intercropped with cereals.
The other options are incorrect because they do not represent a common combination of crops that are intercropped in Punjab.