Which statement about the three sisters arrangement is false?

• A. Corn stalks can support bean vines
• B. Beans fix nitrogen in the soil
• C. Squash cover crop helps suppress weeds
• D. Three sisters require monocropping to work

Answer: (D)

Intercropping with mutual support is what makes the three sisters system work. The tall corn provides a sturdy structure for the bean vines to climb, giving them access to light and support without needing separate trellises. The beans bring nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their roots, converting atmospheric nitrogen into forms that enrich the soil for all three crops. Squash sprawls along the ground, acting as a living mulch that shades the soil to suppress weeds and helps retain soil moisture. Because each plant plays a different role and they are grown together, monocropping would undermine these benefits. So the idea that this arrangement requires growing only one crop at a time is what doesn’t fit.