Cropping System Concepts
Multiple Cropping: “The growing of more than one crop on the same land in one year”.
Types of multiple cropping:
(a) Intercropping
(b) Mixed cropping
(c) Sequential/non-overlapped cropping
(d) Relay/overlapped cropping
Intercropping :
Growing of two or more crops simultaneously in alternate rows or otherwise in the same area, where there is significant amount of inter crop competition
Advantages of Inter Cropping:
1. Greater stability of yield over different seasons,
2. Better use of growth resources
Disadvantages of Intercropping:
1. Yield decrease because of adverse competition effect
2. Allopathic effect
3. Creates obstruction in the free use of machines
Mixed cropping:
Cultivation of two or more than two crops simultaneously, on the same piece of land without any definite row pattern or fixed ratio.
Scientific study of mixed cropping was firstly done by La-Flitze in 1929.
Mixed cropping is commonly practiced in Dry land areas of India.
Sequential/non-overlapped cropping:
Growing of two or more crops in quick succession on the same piece of land in a farming year. e.g. Just after the harvest of Maize Potato is sown and just after digging of potato. Chili is sown.
Relay/overlapped cropping:
Relay planting is interring planting or inter sowing of seeds/seedlings of the succeeding crop before harvesting the preceding/maturing crop.
Generally 2nd crop is planted after the first crop has reach its reproductive stage of growth
Example: Potato is planted before the harvest of Maize and Radish is sown before harvesting of Potato.
Paira (Bihar & WB) and Utera (MP) cropping are also referred as an example of relay cropping.
Paira/Utera cropping means sowing of Lathyrus or Lentil before the harvest of rice in lowland area with an objective to use the residual moisture of rice field.
Multi-storeyed/Multitired/Multilevel Cropping:
Two or more than two crops of different heights cultivated simultaneously on the same field. It is generally practiced in Karnataka and Kerala e.g. Sugarcane + Mustard + Onion/Potato.
Parallel Cropping:
Such crops have different growth habits and zero competition to each other. e.g. Urd/Moong + Maize
Companion Cropping:
When the production of both inters crops is equal to that of its solid planting. e.g. Mustard/Potato/Onion + Sugarcane
Synergetic Cropping:
In this type of cropping, yield of both the crops are higher than their pure crops on unit area e.g. Sugarcane + Potato
