Monocropping is the continuous growth of a crop in the same location over a long period of time. Intercropping and crop rotation are alternative strategies applied in multiple cropping, the growing of two or more crops in the same piece of land. The greater carbon sequestration rate was with coconut monocropping system on s 9. In this pattern, soybean is sowed into skipstrips of standing maize, thus, soybean grows under shade conditions.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of monocropping. This was recently demonstrated by researchers from cirad and their partners in ivory coast who spent 17 years monitoring a t. However, it is unclear whether differences in soil microbial diversity between these two agricultural systems have a functional effect on crop growth. Comparing biological productivity in cropping systems besjournals. More than a half of the observations corresponded to intercropped plantain. Intercropping is the practice of growing different crops in the same field. Maize and beans were grown both in monoculture and in intercropped stands at a range of densities. The effect of intercropping of maize and soybean on microclimate.
In the intercropping system, plant density and planting pattern were again highly explanatory, as the first and third most important variables. Monocropping also creates the spread of pests and diseases, which must be treated with yet more chemicals. To compare the general effects of monocropping vs intercropping and cmn on foliar damage and total fm and pp biomass, nested treatments were categorized as either monocropping control. Deeprooted pigeon pea promotes the water relations and. There are many spatial combinations possible for intercropping, including mixed intercropping, in which different crops. Intercropping patterns and different farming systems affect. Crops yield increases with intercropping due to higher growth rate, reduction of weeds, pests and diseases and more effective use of resources. Intercropping enhances productivity and maintains the most soil. Yields of both maize and pigeonpea in intercropping systems were generally lower than in monocropping systems in both the trials table 1. The purpose behind intercropping is to increase yields by doubling up on available growing space. Despite its widespread use, and apart from some intercropping research in the.
The practice of intercropping has actually been around since farming began. F s, where a vs is the aggressivity of bitter vetch relative to safflower in the intercropping system, y iv and y is are yields of bitter vetch and safflower in intercropping, y sv and y ss are yields of bitter vetch and safflower in sole cropping and f v and f s are the. Key differences between mixed cropping and intercropping. Pdf the effect of intercropping of maize and soybean on. The difference between mixed cropping and intercropping are described in the points given below. Both the mono cropping and intercropping systems used the same spacing at 25. Both abov e the ground 30cm and 70cm, th e rh in the. Intercropping is the companion planting method of growing one crop alongside another. When two or more crops are sown and cultivated at the same time in the particular area, then this type of cropping pattern is known as mixed cropping.
Why some farmers try something different intercropping is defined simply as growing two or more crop types on one field. Intercropping is a ways to increase diversity in an agricultural. The crop is the same over the whole farm, therefore farmingmanagemnt decisions are simplified. The mono cropping and the intercropping with oil palms showed the least rhizomes size width 8. Intercropping has some suppressing effects on most of the insect pests through the changed cropping canopy. Only the machinery necessary to maintain the crop needs to be bought. Intercropping enhances productivity and maintains the most. While there are some distinct advantages to this technique, it is environmentally questionable and can potentially lead to serious economic problems for farmers, as well. Maize and pigeonpea intercropping systems in mpumalanga. C1 cornmonocropping yukonr c2 cornmonocropping dkc2628rib s1 soybeanmonocropping bigfellowrrupright s2 soybeanmonocropping gamekeeperupright s3 soybean. This article contains a comparison of the profits of cultivating modern and traditional varieties of coconuts as a monocrop and as an intercrop, in ideal and in average growing conditions.
Intercropping to reduce risk was a common practice in the united states and europe before the 1940s, kass, 1978. In an intercropping system, useful animals can seek refuge in the plants of the other crop while one crop is being harvested, and can then migrate into strips with green manure, so they always have access to shelter. The effects of intercropping on dry weight dw of herbage and nitrogen n nutrition of plants of two winter cereals, barley and wheat, and two legumes, white lupin and common vetch, were. Difference between mixed cropping and intercropping with. The yield reduction in the intercropping systems for ld and md pigeonpea cultivars ranged from 7. Mixed intercropping or mixed cropping is the growing of two or more crops at the same time with no distinct row arrangement. These are the findings of doctoral research performed by fang gou of the.
Rowintercropping, mixed intercropping, stripintercropping and relay intercropping are most important types of intercropping. Plant production university of limpopo submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of doctor of philosophy crop science in the school of agriculture, earth and environmental sciences. As the productivity measurements from the two different systems were ton ha1 year1 for monocropping and kg. Agronomic performance of kidney bean and castor bean. Synergism and antagonisms between nutrients induced by copper toxicity in grapevine rootstocks. The effects of monocropping on the environment are severe when pesticides and fertilizers make their way into ground water or become airborne, creating pollution. Difference between mixed cropping and intercropping easy. Stability comparison of intercropping and monocropping. Intercropping, the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops in the same space at the same time, is an old and commonly.
In contrast to the monocropping system, an additional cf, plant variety, also influenced yield fig 1. Mixed cropping vs intercropping difference between mixed cropping and intercropping mixed cropping and intercropping are two methods of diversified farming techniques where more than. Mixed cropping vs intercropping difference between mixed cropping and intercropping mixed cropping and intercropping are two methods of diversified farming techniques where more than one types of crops are grown in the same unit area. Intercropping, multicropping, and rotations sciencedirect. Example planting wheat year after year in the same field. Effect of soil amendments, intercropping and planting time. In mixed cropping or mixed farming, two independent crops are mixed together and grown in an area, whereas the intercropping is a multiple cropping techniques where two or more crops are grown in proximity. Monoculture can play to the advantages of the local climate and soil conditions. Pdf a general overview on intercropping and its advantages. Intercropping patterns and different farming systems. However, there are few published reports on soil fertility in intercropping relative to monocultures. Thus, as in rao and willey 1980, if intercrop yield return, x, is compared with solecrop yield.
Interestingly, the top ten variables in the intercropping system included two variables. The purpose behind intercropping is to increase yields by doubling up on available growing. Jun 24, 2012 recent studies have shown that treebased intercropping tbi systems support a more diverse soil microbial community compared to conventional agricultural systems. Intercropping sorghum with cowpea in dryland farming systems in botswana. A wide range of crops can be used for intercropping gomez, 1990. Both cropping systems have resulted to increased farm production and profitability per unit land area in selected crops. Monoculture crops learn about the effects of monocropping. In the conclusion we discuss why development organizations and third world countries encourage monocropping. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Sustainable agriculture requires a shift from monoculture to intercropping. Intercropping significantly reduced soil olsenp only in 2012, soil exchangeable k in both years, soil cation exchangeable capacity cec in 2012, and soil ph in 2012. Intercropping and crop rotation are alternative strategies applied in multiple cropping, the growing of two or more crops in the same piece of. The comparative stability of sorghumcowpea intercropping and monocropping was assessed by determination of variances, regression against an environmental index, and probability. The large uolume of literature that involves intercropping can be divided into two categories.
It is possible that both crops dont yield enough produce. Only the machinery necessary to maintain the crop needs. Although kidney bean seed yield was lower in the intercropping system than in the monocropping, it was higher than the monocropping kidney bean. This article contains a comparison of the profits of cultivating modern and traditional varieties of coconuts as a monocrop and as an intercrop, in ideal. Monocropping is the agricultural practice of growing a single crop year after year on the same land, in the absence of rotation through other crops or growing multiple crops on the same land. Department of economics, university of british columbia. Monocropping is when the field is used to grow only one crop season after season.
The relationship between transpiration and root distribution under different spatial arrangements of intercropping is poorly understood. Nov 21, 2017 the difference between mixed cropping and intercropping are described in the points given below. Intercropping replaces monoculture for sustainable agriculture. Intercropping is the growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same field. Row intercropping, mixed intercropping, strip intercropping and relay intercropping are most important types of intercropping. In this study, we used a series of greenhouse experiments to test whether crops. It is known to imitate the diverseness of natural ecosystems. Comparative stability of alternative cropping systems volume 23 issue 4 c. Multicropping, intercropping, companion planting, beneficial weeds, and alley cropping are a part of polyculture. Crop rotation is a key principle of agriculture conservation because it improves the soil structure and fertility, and because it helps control weeds, pests and diseases. Land equivalent ratio, growth, yield and yield components. Crops that are best suited for the land are planted so that soil and climate specifications, such as winds, droughts or a short growing season, dont impact the yield as much. However, our understanding is limited on how crops respond to shading in intercropping. Intercropping is the growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same field such that the period of overlap is long enough to include the vegetative stage gomez and gomez, 1983.
May 24, 2020 monocropping is an agricultural practice in which the same crop is planted year after year, without practicing crop rotation or resting the soil. Jan 24, 2017 intercropping is the companion planting method of growing one crop alongside another. Growth response of crops to soil microbial communities from. The high copper cu concentration in vineyard soils causes the increase of cu toxicity symptoms in young grapevines. Examples planting alternating rows of maize and beans, or growing a cover crop in between the cereal rows. Under favourable conditions, a smart combination of crops for example, six rows of wheat alternating with. Impact of intercropping tomato and maize on the infestation. Intercropping several tree crops is not only possible, but profitable. The economics of monocropping and intercropping by.
Intercropping is the growing of two or more crops simultaneously. Reduce damage to cash crops attract beneficial organisms decrease the use of external inputs e. Intercropping can be defined as a multiple cropping system that two or more crops planted in a field during a growing season. Although intensive monocropping is much easier for largescale. Synergism and antagonisms between nutrients induced by copper. The first is a collection of descriptive papers on existing intercropping systems. Agricultural to concept of ways and methods of the operation of water resources. The economics of monocropping and intercropping by smallholders. The potential of cornsoybean intercropping to improve the. Stability of intercropping and monocropping systems 255 attempts to produce a risk measure of stability have included both surveys of large amounts of data and theoretical arguments. There are advantages and disadvantages of intercropping. Under favourable conditions, a smart combination of crops for example, six rows of wheat alternating with two rows of maize provides higher yields with less use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides than the same crops in monoculture. Intercropping, the growth of two or more crop species simultaneously cogrowth in the same field area, has been widely practiced worldwide.
Multiple cropping is not a new form of agricultural technology. Examples of mixed intercropping of annual crops are the practice of growing corn, bean and squash in central america and forage sorghum with silage corn in oregon. The crops may actually compete for the same nourishment and of course water, which may lead to an unmanageable conflict. This term is often used to refer to growing the same crop year after year in the same field.
Monocropping conventional farmers utilize monocropping on their farms. Alternative to monocropping solutions to monoculture farming. Higher crop productivity and efficiency in resource use was observed in maizebean intercropping systems. Jan 14, 2017 intercropping can lead to poorer yields. Although kidney bean seed yield was lower in the intercropping system than in the monocropping, it was higher than the monocropping kidney bean seed yield national average, which was of 910 kg ha1 in 201220 conab, 2014. Crop rotation and intercropping are regarded as better. The results show that intercropping generates more income than monocropping. The par above soybean canopy were monitored by a light sensor licor sa190, licor inc. The impact of the cropping system on the location of the efficient es frontier, northern ghana, 19821986. Modernization of farming equipment has changed our farming practices into what they are today, which is largely mono cropping. Mar 09, 2017 sustainable agriculture requires a shift from monoculture to intercropping. Recently, intercropping of grapevine and oat was shown to reduce cu toxicity.
Conventional farming and monocropping systems in addition to depletion the natural resource, is caused environmental pollution. Soil total n tn did not differ between intercropping and monocropping in either year with the sole exception of maizefaba bean intercropping. Intercropping, multicropping, and rotations involve the addition of system components that increase yields, add resilience, and generate cobenefits for people and ecosystems. Example planting maize in the long rains, then beans during the short rains. Myriam fernandez, agriculture and agrifood canada 2. Stability comparison of intercropping and monocropping systems. Research needs to be directed to test these alternatives. While talking about the pros and cons of monoculture farming, one should also appreciate the fact that there is an. Intercropping, the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops in the same space at the same time, is an old and. This technique makes use of the given space, nutrients, and energy in a balanced way.
A general overview on intercropping and its advantages in. Intercropping is quite common around the world and it is not just farmers but also hobbyists and gardeners who practice intercropping. Difference between the monoculture and polyculture farming. Christie wolf, research analyst saskatchewan crop insurance 2. Intercropping offers farmers agronomic advantages over monocrop ping. Maize zea mays soybean relay intercropping pattern is one of the widely spread relay intercropping. The effect of intercropping of maize and soybean on. You should consider the rewards and challenges before you decide either way. When pests find a place where their source of food is abundant. Introduction intercropping is the cultivation of two or more crops at the same time in the same field. Soil total n tn did not differ between intercropping and monocropping in either year with the sole exception of maizefaba bean intercropping receiving 80 kg p ha. Yield and nutrient acquisition advantages are frequently found in intercropping systems.