LEC. 2.

Classification of cropping system - Mono cropping, intensive cropping,

multiple cropping, mixed cropping.

Dr. N. Krishnaprabu, Asst. Prof. (Agronomy)

SRM College of Agricultural Sciences
Mono cropping/Mono culture
The repetitive growing of the same crop on the same and Eg. Growing rice after
rice in the same field season after season. Cropping intensity always 100 %
Multiple Cropping
Growing two or more crops on the same field in one year. The intensification of
cropping in temporal and spatial dimension;
Double, Triple and Quadruple Cropping
Growing two, three and four crops, respectively, on the same land in a year in
sequence
Sole cropping: One crop variety grown alone in pure stand at normal density.
 SEQUENTIAL CROPPING
Growing two or more crops in sequence on the same field per year.
The succeeding crop is planted after the preceding crop has been harvested.
Crop intensification only in the time dimension.
There is no intercrop competition.
Farmers manage only one crop at a time in the same field.
Sequential cropping systems are customarily encountered where resource
endowments, especially water availability.

The sequential cropping utilizes higher inputs and income

maximization is a more important objective than in the case of
intercropping.
 INTERCROPPING
Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field; crop intensification is in both temporal and
spatial dimensions; there is intercrop competition during all or part o crop growth.
Intercropping systems tend to be low input, risk reducing under dry farming situations for crop
diversification and fulfilment of subsistence objectives.
At higher input levels it will be able to necessary to revaluate and recombine various activities.
Eg. Groundnut + Redgram + Castor
Cotton + Black gram/green gram
Sorghum + Redgram
Advantages Disadvantages

Better use of growth resources including light, nutrients and water Labour intensive

Control of pest and disease or chemical

Suppression of weeds
weed control
Yield stability; even if one crop fails due to unforeseen situations,
Mechanization is difficult
another crop will yield and gives income
Successful intercropping gives higher equivalent yields (yield of base
crop + yield of intercrop), higher cropping intensity
Adverse competitive or allelopathy effects
Reduced pest and disease incidences
Improvement of soil health and agro-eco system
 Difference between - Inter Cropping & Mixed Cropping

Sl. No Inter Cropping Mixed Cropping

The main object is to utilize the space To get at least one crop under
1
left between two rows of main crop favourable conditions
More emphasis is given to the main
2 All crops are cared equally
crop
There is no competition between both There is competition between all crops
3
crops growing
Inter crops are of short duration & The crops are almost of the same
4
are harvested much earlier than main duration
5 Sowing time may be same or different It is same for all crops
Crops are sown in different rows
Either sown in rows or mixed without
6 without affecting the population of
considering the population of either
main crop when sown as sole crop
 Pre-requisites of intercropping

 The time of peak nutrient demands of component crops should not overlap.

 Competition for light should be minimum among the component crops.

 Complementarity should exist between the component crops.

 The differences in maturity of component crops should be at least 30 days.

 Competition for CO2 and water should be minimum among the component crops.
MIXED INTERCROPPING: Growing two or more crops simultaneously with no distinct row arrangement.
Also referred to as mixed cropping. The seeds of the crop varieties are mixed in desired proposition,
sown and incorporated. Eg. Grass legume mixture; Mixing the seeds of sorghum and cowpea in 5:1 ratio
and broad casted.

ROW INTERCROPPING: Growing two or more crops simultaneously where one or more crops are planted
in rows; often referred to as intercropping.

Eg. Sorghum in paired rows intercropped with one row of cowpea

Planting 1 row of red gram for every 10 rows of groundnut

STRIP INTERCROPPING: Growing two or more crops simultaneously in different strips wide enough to
permit independent cultivation but narrow enough for the crops to interact agronomically. Normally
followed in sloppy lands and in soils prone for erosion. Eg. Wheat and Bengal gram in alternate strips of
5-10 m.
RELAY CROPPING: Growing two or more crops simultaneously during the part of the life
cycle of each. A second crop is planted after the first crop has reached its
reproductive stage of growth but before it is ready for harvest.

Eg. Broad casting black gram or green gram in the standing rice crop about 7-10 days
before its harvest.

MIXED FARMING: Cropping systems which involve the rising of crops, animals and/ or
trees.

MULTI-STORY/MULTI-TIER CROPPING: it is a system of growing together, crops of

different heights at the same time on the same piece of land and thus using land, water,
and space most efficiently and economically (Coconut+Pepper+pineapple+grass).
PATCH CROP: The component crops are planted in patches.

MAIN CROP/BASE CROP: This is one which is planted at its optimum sole crop population in an
intercrop situation and second crop is planted in-between rows of the main crop or
base crop with a view of to obtain some extra intercrop yield without sacrificing the main or base
crop.

COMPONENT CROP: The component crop is used to refer to either of the individual crops making up
the intercropping situation.

CROPPING INDEX: The number of crops grown per annum on a given area of land multiplied by 100.

RATOON CROPPING: The cultivation of crop re-growth after harvest, although not necessarily
for grain. Eg. Sorghum ratoon, sugarcane ratoon, fodder grass ratoon.
PARALLEL CROPPING: Cultivation of crops which have different natural habit and zero competition e.g.
black gram/green gram+ maize. The peak nutrient demand period for black gram or green gram is
around 30-35 days after sowing while it is 50 days after sowing for maize.

COMPANION CROPS: Such intercropping where the production of both intercrops is equal to that its solid
planting. E.g. Mustard/Potato/onion + sugarcane. By growing of the above three intercrops individually
with sugarcane, the production of none is hardly affected.

SYNERGETIC CROPPING: The yield of both the crops are higher than of their pure crop on unit area basis
e.g. sugarcane + potato.

ADDITIVE SERIES: Addition of intercrop to the base crop. This type of intercropping is prevalent in India
and its main objective is to get additional income and cover risk.

REPLACEMENT SERIES: Both the crops are component crops. Neither is the base crop nor is the
intercrop. It means the plant population of both the component crops is less than their recommended
population in pure stand. In such type widely practiced in Western countries.
AGRO FORESTRY: It is a collective name for land use systems in which woody perennials (trees,
shrubs, etc.,) are grown in association with herbaceous plants (crops, pastures) and/or livestock
in a spatial arrangement, a rotation or both, and in which there are both ecological and economic
interactions between the tree and non-tree components of the system.

ALLEY CROPPING: It is an agro forestry system in which food crops are grown in alleys formed by
hedgerows of trees and shrubs, preferably, legumes.

 The hedgerows are cut back at planting and periodically pruned during cropping to prevent
shading and to reduce competition with the associated food crops.
 The hedgerows are allowed to grow freely to cover the land when there are no crops.
 When this concept is extended to include livestock by using a portion of the hedgerow foliage
for animal feed, it is called alley farming.

ALLEY CROPPING: A farming system in which arable crops are grown in alleys formed by trees or
shrubs, established mainly to hasten soil fertility.
FALLOW: is the practice of allowing crop land to lie idle during a growing season to build up
the soil moisture & fertility content so that a better crop can be produced in the following
year.
 A fallow year or season is one in which the field is not cultivated with any crop but left
without a crop.
 The field may be left undisturbed in a ploughed condition or kept clean by frequent
cultivations.

CROP ROTATION: Crop rotation is a process of growing different crops in succession on a

piece of land in a specific period of time, with an object to get maximum profit from least
investment without impairing the soil fertility or repetitive cultivation of an ordered
succession of crops (or crops and fallow) on the same land. One cycle often takes several
years.
 PRINCIPLES OF CROP ROTATION

The crops with tap roots should be followed by those which have fibrous root system.
The leguminous crops should be grown after non-leguminous crops
More exhaustive crop should be followed by less exhaustive crops because crops like potato,
sugarcane, maize etc.
Selection of the crops should be demand based
The selection of crops should be problem based e.g. On sloppy lands which are prone to soil
erosion
The selection of crops should suit the farmers’ financial conditions.

The crops selected should also suit the soil and climatic conditions.
The crops of the same family should not be grown in succession because they act like alternate
hosts for insects, pests and disease pathogens.

An ideal crop rotation is one which provides maximum employment to the family and farm labour,
the machines and equipment's are efficiently used and all the agricultural operations are done
timely.
 ADVANTAGES OF CROP ROTATION
Agricultural operations can be done timely for all the crops because of less competition.
Soil fertility is restored by fixing atmospheric nitrogen
An ideal crop rotation helps in controlling insects, pests and diseases. It also controls
the weeds in the fields
Proper utilization of all resources and inputs could be made by following crop rotation.
Growing crops of different root depths avoids continues depletion of nutrients from
same depths
Best utilization of residual moisture, fertility and organic residues is made by growing
crop of different nature.
Ideal crop rotation improves percolation, soil structure and reduces chances or creation
of hard pan in sub-soil zone.
The family needs of feed, food, fuel, fibre, spices, condiments, sugar, etc. are fulfilled.
TERMINOLOGIES USED IN MULTIPLE CROPPING SYSTEMS
Annidation: Complementary use of environmental resources by intercrop
components.

Competition effect: Competition of intercropped species for light, nutrients, water,

carbon dioxide and other growth factors.

Complementary effect: Effect of one component on another which enhance growth

and productivity, as compared to competition above.

Component Crops: Individual crop species which are a part of the multiple cropping
system.

Component Technology: The procedure for growing each component crop.

Farm enterprises: An individual crop or animal production function within a farming

system which is the smallest unit for which resource use and cost return analysis is
normally carried out.
Farming System Research (FSR): The study of whole farm systems, which include all the
enterprises on the farm, their biological, economic and cultural operations and usually
implies some involvement of the farmer in the research process.

Interculture: Arable crops grown below perennial crops.

Interplanting: All types of seeding or planting a crop into a growing stand. It is used
especially for annual crops grown under stands of perennial crops.

Maximum cropping: Attainment of highest possible production per unit area per unit
time without regard to cost or net return.

Spatial Arrangement: The physical or spatial organization of component crops in a

multiple cropping system.

Arboriculture: Cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and
other perennial woody plants.
Agri-silviculture: Conscious and deliberate use of land for the concurrent production of
agricultural and forest crops.

Agri-silvi-pastoral system: A system in which land is managed for the concurrent

production of agricultural and forest crops and for the rearing of domesticated animals.
This system is, in fact a combination of agri-silviculture and the silvi-pastoral system.

Agro – ecology: The study of the relationship of agricultural crops and environment.

Agrostology: A branch of science which deals with the study of grasses, their
classification management and utilization.

Blind cultivation: Cultivating with a harrow weeder, rotary weeder or there implements
to kill weeds before a seeded or planted crop has come up.
Bush-fallow system: A system of farming in which bushes and trees are cleared from
virgin land, which is then allowed to lie fallow for a while before cultivation begins.
Farmer cultivates one piece of land for some years and later leave it for some years with the
aim of restoring the fertility of the soil naturally. During this fallow period, the farmer
cultivates another piece of land.

Conservation cropping: A way of farming that aims to maximize the protection against
erosion that can be achieved through soil and crop management for sustained farm
productivity.

Contingency cropping: Contingency cropping is growing of crops in aberrant situations like

drought and floods. It aims at partial mitigation of misery by producing some food, feed and
fodder to encounter emergency conditions.

Contour farming: A method of cultivation wherein operations including sowing are carried
out along the contour. It reduces run-off, conserves more moisture and increases crop yield.

Contour strip cropping: The cultivation practice involving growing of a soil exposing and
erosion permitting crop in strips of suitable width alternating with strip of soil protecting
and erosion-resisting crops, along with the contours.
Cropping scheme: The plan according to which crops are raised on individual plots of a
farm with an object of getting the maximum returns from each crop without impairing
fertility of the soil.

Diversified farm: A farm on which no single product or source of income equals as much
as 50% of the total receipt and no such farm the farmer depends on several sources of
income.

Dry farming or dry land farming: The practice of crop production entirely with rain water
received during the crop season or on conserved soil moisture in low rainfall
(< 800 mm) areas of arid and semi-arid climate and the crops may face mild to very
severe stress during their life cycle.

Rainfed farming: Growing of field crops entirely with rain water received during crop
season (rainfall usually > 800 mm) under humid and sub-humid climates and the crops
may face little or no moisture stress during their life-cycle

Farm management: The branch of agricultural economics which deals with the business
principles and practices of farming with an abject of obtaining the maximum possible
return from the farm as a unit under a sound farming programme.
Farm planning: A process involving many decisions to be taken in respect of kinds of crops to
grow, rotations, mixtures, soil and water conservation practices to be followed and building
bullocks, machinery purchase etc.

Natural farming: It is a system of alternative agriculture in which the plants are grown as natural
entities without manipulation of soil. It is a system of farming which uses no machines, no
prepared fertilizers and no chemical but yields normal harvests.

Opportunity cropping: The practice of placing primary emphasis on the use of stored soil
moisture while determining whether or not to establish a crop.

Organic farming (biological husbandry): It is a agricultural production system which avoids or

largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators
and livestock feed additives.

To the maximum extent feasible organic farming systems rely upon crop rotations, crop
residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, mineral bearing rocks and aspects of
biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and tilth to supply plant nutrients and to
control insects, weeds and other pest
Outer crop or guard crop or border crop: The crops which are grown around the field
boundaries in narrow strips with twin objectives of protecting the main crop from stray
cattle and producing livestock feed and/pr seed are called outer or guard crops, e.g.
Sesbania or Leucaena on boundaries of field/plantation crops and castor around spring-
planted sugarcane.

Pitcher farming: A practice in dry farming where crop is irrigated through small holes
made in the bottom of earthen pitcher. The practice is generally used for wider spaced
plants.

Energy farming: A concept involving the farming of fast-growing plants or trees for the
purpose of providing biomass that can be used directly as fuel or converted into other
forms

Recession farming (diara land farming): It is a system in which crops are planted in
flooded areas as the rainy season ends and water recedes. This system takes advantage
of thoroughly saturated soil profile and also has the advantage of silt and nutrients left
behind by flood water.
Shifting cultivation: The practice of cultivating clearings scattered in the reservoir
or natural vegetation (forest or grass woodland) and of abandoning them as soon as
the soil is exhausted, and this includes the practice of shifting homesteads in order
to follow the cultivator’s search for new fertile land.

Sustainable agriculture: Sustainable agriculture should involve the successful

management of resources for agriculture to satisfy changing human needs while
maintaining or enhancing the quality of the environment and conserving natural
resources.