Intercropping in banana gardens with annual crops can be remunerative. Farmers with limited resources have traditionally multicropped their lands to minimise risks associated with growing a single crop and to ensure more stable subsistence in terms of food nutrition and possible income. Bananas are mostly grown by small and marginal farmers. With holdings less than a hectare, they can hardly be expected to raise a pure crop of banana. Intercrops can easily be raised in banana plantation at the early stages of growth. Radish, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, chilli, brinjal, colocassia, yam, dioscorea, lady's finger, basella, cucurbitaceous vegetables, marigold, tuberose are grown as Intercrops. Mixed cropping with arecanut and coconut is a common practice in south India. Banana is grown as a nurse crop to provide shade for young plants of on orchard. Cassava/plantain combination is one of the most efficient cropping systems. The total returns was highest in banana intercropped with bhendi followed by clusterbean lablab and the least in pure crop of banana.

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