Cropping System and Cropping Pattern
Cropping System and Cropping Pattern
Cropping System and Cropping Pattern
refers to the proportion of land under cultivation of different crops at different points of
time. This indicates the time and arrangement of crops in a particular land area. Any
change in the cropping pattern would cause: change in the proportion of land under
different crops.
The cropping patterns determine the level of agricultural production. This reflects the
agricultural economy of any region. The cropping patterns are affected by changes in
agrarian policy, availability of agricultural inputs, improvement in technology. Thus, the
cropping patterns are beneficial in improving the fertility of the soil, thereby, increasing
the yield of the crops. It ensures crop protection and availability of nutrients to the crops.
Cropping system:
The term cropping system refers to the crops, crop sequences and management
techniques used on a particular agricultural field over a period of years. It
includes all spatial and temporal aspects of managing an agricultural system.
Efficient utilization of all resources viz. land, water and sunlight maintaining
stability and in production and obtaining higher net return.
2. Intensive cropping
a) Multiple cropping
b) Intercropping
3) Sequential cropping
4) Crop rotation
1)Monoculture/Monocropping:-
The cropping system in which only one major crop is grown on the same land year
after year. Or Repetitive growing of only one crop on same piece of land year after
year. e.g Rice-Rice, Bajra-Bajra
Advantages of monoculture/monocropping:-
1) Convenience in sowing with the help of machinery under mechanized farming
2) 2) It is convenient for harvesting with the help of machinery
Disadvantages:-
1) Sometimes fertility and productivity of the soil are lowered if suitable soil
management practices are not followed.
2) Soil structure may be deteriorated.
3) Increase infestation of pests, diseases and weeds.
2) Intensive Cropping systems: Growing number of crops on the same piece of
land during the given period.
a) Multiple cropping:- The cropping system in which two or more crops are
grown either in succession or sequence or association for entire or part period of
their life cycles on the same field in a year is called multiple cropping. E.g.
Sorghum-Wheat-Green Gram, Maize-Wheat-Green gram ,Rice-Wheat-Black
gram-Linseed
It is further sub-divided as
a) Mixed intercropping
b) Row intercropping
c) Strip intercropping
d) Relay intercropping
a) Mixed cropping:- Growing two or more crops simultaneously with no distinct
row arrangement is known as mixed cropping.
E.g. Maize + Green gram + Pigeon pea
Sorghum + Groundnut + Pigeon pea
Disadvantages:-
1) Some times control of pests, diseases and weeds become difficult
2) Some times affects the yield of main crop
3) Harvesting with the help of machinery is not possible
b) Strip intercropping:- Growing of two or
more crops simultaneously in strips wide
enough to permit independent cultivation but
narrow enough to interact the crop
agronomically is called as strip intercropping.
Disadvantages:
a) Double cropping:- It is multiple cropping system in which two crops are grown
in sequence on the same piece of land in a year. e.g. Black gram-Jowar, Black gram-
Wheat, Rice-Gram, Groundnut-Wheat etc.
b) Triple cropping:- It is the multiple cropping system in which three crops are grown
in sequence on a same land in a year.
c) Quadruple cropping:- It is the multiple cropping system in which four crops are
grown in a sequence on the same land in a year.
Ratooning is one of the important systems of intensive cropping, which implies more
than one harvest from one sowing/planting because of regrowth from the basal buds on
the stem after harvest of first crop.
Thus ratooning consists of allowing the stubbles of the original crop to strike again
or to produce the tillers after harvesting and to raise another crop.
e.g. Ratooning of Sugarcane, Hybrid Jowar, Hybrid Bajra, and Redgram etc.
Crop Rotation:- A crop rotation may be defined as more or less systematic recurrent
succession of crops on the same piece of land. e.g. Jowar-Gram-Groundnut-Wheat.
Principles of crop rotation:
1. The crops with tap roots should be followed by those with fibrous root system. This helps
in proper and uniform use of nutrients from the soil.
2. The leguminous crops should be grown after non-leguminous crops. Legumes fix
atmospheric nitrogen in the soil and add more organic matter to the soil.
4. The crop of the same family should not be grown in succession because they act like
alternate hosts for pests and diseases.
5. An ideal crop rotation is one which provides maximum employment to the family and
farm labour, farm machineries and equipment's are efficiently used.