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DEFINITION OF TERMS�SOLE CROPS:�GROWING OF ONE CROP VARIETY ALONE IN PURE STAND IS CALLED SOLE CROPS. �MONOCULTURE:�REPEATED GROWING OF SAME SOLE CROPS ON THE SAME LAND IS CALLED MONOCULTURE.�CROPPING PATTERN:�THE YEARLY SEQUENCE AND SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT OF CROPS OR OF CROPS AND FALLOW ON A GIVEN AREA IS KNOWN AS CROPPING PATTERN.�CROPPING SYSTEM:�CROPPING PATTERN, FARM RESOURCES AND AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY AND THEIR INTERACTION DEVELOP INTO SYSTEMS OF GROWING CROPS IN A PARTICULAR REGION IS KNOWN AS CROPPING SYSTEM.��

Cropping System

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Definition of terms

  • Farming System:
  • It is a mix of farming enterprises to which a farm family allocates its resources in order to efficiently exploit the existing environment for the attainment of the family goals.
  • It represents cropping system, livestock system, other farm enterprises, off farm activities and their interaction.

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Multiple cropping

  • Multiple cropping: Growing of two or more than two crops on the same piece of land in the same year is known as multiple cropping.
  • The multiple cropping may be of different types:
  • Sequence cropping: Growing of two or more crops in a sequence on the same piece of land in the same year is called sequence cropping. In the sequence cropping another crop is planted after the harvest of the previous crop. Growing of wheat after the harvest of rice is an example of sequence cropping.

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Sequence cropping cont…

  • If two crops are grown in a year in sequence, it is called double cropping. If three crops are taken in sequence, it is called triple cropping and so on.
  • In sequence cropping symbol used denote sequence is “ - “.
  • It can be written as:
  • Rice – wheat
  • Rice – wheat – moong bean

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2. Inter cropping

  • Inter cropping:
  • Growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land with definite row arrangement is known as inter cropping.
  • Growing of soybean in between two rows of maize crops.
  • Growing of potato in between two rows of sugarcane are the examples of inter cropping.
  • The symbol used for inter cropping is “ + “.
  • It can be written like Maize + soybean, Sugarcane + potato.

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3.Mixed cropping

  • Growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land without any definite row arrangement is known as mixed cropping.
  • Seeds of two or more crops are mixed and sown in the field.
  • Growing of wheat and mustard together, and growing of Chickpea and linseed together are the examples of mixed cropping.
  • The symbol used for mixed cropping is also “ + “ and therefore can be written as Chickpea + linseed and wheat + mustard.

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4. Relay cropping

  • This is a cropping system in which second crop is sown in the standing crop of first crop at the reproductive stage .
  • Lentil, Chickpea, Faba bean are generally sown in the standing rice crop 10 -20 days before the harvest .
  • The parts of their life cycle go together.
  • The symbol used for relay cropping is “ / “ and can be written as Rice/ lentil and rice/ chickpea.

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Advantages of multiple cropping.

  • Total production of crops can be increased without increasing land area by growing more than one crops from the same piece of land in the year.
  • The available resources of the farmers can be utilized efficiently.
  • The employment opportunity can be increased through growing crops around the years.

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Requirements of multiple cropping

  • Short duration varieties of crops
  • Farm mechanization
  • Irrigation facility
  • Resources of the farmers