Most farmers use some type of crop rotation already, but there are added benefits of increasing it further. Potential benefits of crop rotation of some sorts include the increase of soil biodiversity and soil organic matter and carbon content, this is especially true if legumes are included in the rotation.
Further benefits are reduction of soil erosion. Crop rotation also helps reduce the built-up pest load in the field and surrounding areas and can improve resource use as different crops have different needs of soil resources.
Inter-cropping can have benefits for the total yield and resilience to pest species and weather variability if chosen carefully. Perhaps the best-known example of this is the Central American milpa where maize, beans and squash are grown together. Here, the maize is offering support for the climbing beans, the beans fix nitrogen in the soil for next year, and the squash covers the ground and reduces weeds. This maximizes the use of space, and potentially resources, and can also suppress weeds and reduce water loss. In Europe the mix of, for example, oats and peas is a common way of producing fodder high in nutrients.
The intercropping can also be used in a type of push-pull system where some plants attract pollinators and natural enemies, or repel and push away pest species, which in turn is beneficial for the main crop.