Segment 2 from S4E2 Companion planting does it work? - The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener radio show

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In segment two Joey and Holly ask the question how effective is companion plating?

https://www.gardenmyths.com/companion-planting-truth-myth/ author Robert Pavlis
Here is what the definition is for companion planting
Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is the planting of different crops in proximity for any of a number of different reasons, including pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial insects, maximizing use of space, and to otherwise increase crop productivity
And that is one of the problems with this topic. There is no single accepted definition. If we can’t agree on what it is, how can we debate its existence?
I’ve taken a definition from the North American Permaculture Magazine, and modified it to include the case where only one plant receives a benefit; “a type of polyculture, where two or more plant types are grown together because at least one of them shows improved growth due to the presence of the others.”

No scientific proof that companion planting
If I plant some corn and climbing beans together, the corn provides structure for the beans to climb up and that is good for the beans. This example is quite clear and it certainly demonstrates that companion planting works.

Lettuce likes to grow cool and by mid summer it needs extra shade to stay cool or it bolts. Planting it behind larger tomato plants provides a cooler environment. Again a good example of companion planting that works.

It is kind of pointless to have a debate about whether or not companion planting works – I just gave two examples to show it does work. The problem is that just because it works in these two cases does not mean that the hundreds of other examples also work.

Planting marigolds to reduce root knot nematodes is a very common suggestion. It does work, provided that you match the right species of marigold with your crop, and you first grow the marigold and then in the same season immediately follow it with the crop, something only possible in warm climates. For this reason it does not work for most gardeners.

Most of the examples of companion planting promoted for gardeners have NOT been tested. The reality is that research money is tight and when it is available, it will be used for agricultural situations – not home gardens.

Most suggestions have no scientific basis. Many times it is just stuff made up to sell advertising, sell a book or promote an individuals idea. I had a look at one of the books that made this topic very popular; Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte. It contains absolutely no scientific evidence for the claims and most combinations don’t even have logical explanations as to why they work (continued)