Dictionary — ontologydriven

alley crop en · NOUN

From the use of the "alleys" between rows of trees.

A crop that is cultivated in this manner.
- Through the improved management of alley crops and fallow, it should be possible to increase crop yields in ShC systems and at the same time decrease the adverse environmental impacts of these systems. 1998, Amelie Berger, Twice Humanity:
- On these nutrient-poor and acid soils, root competition for nutrients between crops and trees can be very intense, resulting in poor growth of the alley crops, especially of plants growing near the hedgerows. 1999, B. T. Kang, A. N. Atta-krah, L. Reynolds, Alley Farming, page 60:
- Alley crops are generally the 'hedge crop' or creeper which is clipped after some days, or some flower plants. 2017, N.R. Das, Practical Manual on Basic Agronomy:

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
alley crops	Number=Plur		lexicographic

From the use of the "alleys" between rows of trees.

(transitive) To plant non-woody crops between rows of nut, fruit, timber, or fodder trees.
- You can alley crop with brambles, blueberries, fruit or nuts. 1995, The New Farm - Volume 17, Issues 1-4, page 28:
- First stop for our entourage of two buses and three cars is a technical school where the headmaster has directed his students to alley crop a small field of Leucaena and cowpeas. 1990, Thomas A. Bass, Camping with the Prince and Other Tales of Science in Africa, page 136:
- Shepherd will continue to alley crop corn and hay in between the tree rows until the trees become too large and shade out the crops. 1996, Inside Agroforestry, page 4:

Spelling	Features	Source
alley cropped	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
alley cropped	Tense=Past	lexicographic
alley cropping	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
alley crops	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres	lexicographic