Cropping systems

Cropping pattern

The yearly sequence and spatial arrangement of crops, or of crops and fallow, on a given area.

Cropping system

The cropping patterns used on a farm and their interaction with farm resources, other farm enterprises and available technology which determine their make-up.

Farming system

All the elements of a farm which interact as a system, including people, crops, livestock, other vegetation, wildlife, the environment and the social, economic and ecological actions between them.

Intercropping

Planting two or more crops in the same field at the same time. Crops can be planted in rows (row intercropping), or the seed can be dibbled at random or broadcast (mixed intercropping). Planting in rows makes applying fertilizer, weeding and harvesting easier.

Monoculture

Growing the same crop year after year on the same piece of land.

Multiple cropping

Growing two or more crops in the same field in one year at the same time, or one after the other. Multiple cropping can be done with annual food crops, perennial crops (such as cotton), fodder crops, and tree crops.

Relay cropping

Growing two or more crops in a field with their growing seasons overlapping: eg, planting a second crop in the field where another is already growing. After the harvest of the first crop, the second (often drought-resistant) crop continues to grow, and is harvested later.

Rotation

Changing the crops grown on a particular piece of land from season to season (or changing from crops to fallow).

Sequential cropping

Growing two or more crops in sequence in the same field in the same year. The second crop is planted after the first one is harvested.

Sole cropping

One crop variety grown alone in a pure stand.

Strip cropping

Planting of alternate strips of grasses or grains with other crops along the contour in order to conserve moisture and decrease erosion.

Ratoon cropping

Ratoon cropping is the technique of allowing a crop to produce two crops of yield from one planting.
The principles involved in ratoon cropping are that the ratoon crop has well developed root system, earlier maturity, and the perennial nature.

purposes of crop rotation practices are,

• check erosion,
• reduce the pests growth
• maintain soil fertility,
• mitigate risk of weather changes,
• less reliance on agricultural chemicals,
• increase net profits.

Advantages

• Reduces the insect/mite pest populations . When other crops are present in the field, the insect/mite pests are confused .
• Reduces the plant diseases. The distance between plants of the same species is increased because other crops are planted in between.
• Reduces hillside erosion and protects topsoil, especially the contour strip cropping.
• Attracts more beneficial insects, especially when flowering crops are included the the cropping system
• Minimizes labor cost on the control of weeds.
• Utilizes the farm area more efficiently.
• Results in potential increase for total production and farm profitability than when the same crops are grown separately.