Full explanation
Examples in Ukraine and EU: (1) pea + oat — classic oat-pea mix for forage, oat supports pea stems, pea fixes N for oat; (2) rapeseed + sweetclover/phacelia in aisles — attracting bumblebees and honeybees at rapeseed flowering; (3) corn + bean + squash (Milpa, Central American tradition) — three sisters, rare in field production; (4) wheat + undersown clover — at wheat harvest undersown clover becomes pasture + green manure; (5) sunflower + strip-plantings of sweetclover/phacelia (2–4 m strips every 20–40 m) — pollinator-friendly habitat, reduces insecticide use. Companion crop economics remain niche in Ukraine: 1–3% of fields per NAAS surveys (2024) [VERIFY]. Growth drivers: EU CAP eco-schemes, organic production, rising pollinator pressure. Trade-off: companion crops reduce main-crop yield 2–10% but deliver ecological and market premiums.