Permaculture and agroforestry touch on this a lot. In permaculture designs usually photosynthesis per acre is maximized by planting guilds of crops that work we

Permaculture and agroforestry touch on this a lot. In permaculture designs usually photosynthesis per acre is maximized by planting guilds of crops that work well together – in this case, larger trees with shade-loving shrubs beneath them, and beneficial ground cover beneath them as well. Towards the more conventional end of agroforestry, rows of trees are separated with rows of crops, grains, etc. There's lots of benefits to this way of farming, though it's still 'new' to a lot of people.