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Cropping Patterns


CROPPING PATTERNS


  • It is related to raising crops that help in obtaining maximum benefit from the same piece of land. Growing different crops in same piece of land reduces the risk of crop failure, disease and infestation. It can be done in different ways.

 

Mixed cropping:

  • Mixed cropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously and randomly on the same piece of land.
  • For example, wheat + gram, or wheat + mustard, or groundnut + sunflower.
  • This reduces risk and gives some insurance against failure of one of the crops.

Mixed Cropping

 

Inter-cropping:

  • Inter- cropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field in a definite pattern.
  • A few rows of one crop alternate with a few rows of a second crop, for example, soyabean + maize or finger millet (Bajra) + cowpea (lobia).
  • The crops are selected such that their nutrient requirements are different.
  • This ensures maximum utilization of the nutrients supplied, and also prevents pests and diseases from spreading to all the plants belonging to one crop in a field. This way both crops can give better returns.

Intercropping

 

Crop Rotation:

  • The growing of different crops on a piece of land in a pre-planned succession is known as crop rotation.
  • Depending upon the duration, crop rotation is done for different crop combination.
  • The availability of moisture and irrigation facilities decides the choice of the crop to be cultivated after one harvest.
  • If crop rotation is done properly then two or three crops can be grown in a year with good harvests.