Types of Cropping Systems in Agriculture Explained

The term cropping system refers to the crops and crop sequences, as well as the management techniques used on a particular field over the years.

The cropping system represents crop (cropping) patterns used on the farm and their interactions with farm resources, other farm enterprises, and available technology, which determine their makeup.

A crop pattern means the proportion of the area under various crops at a point in time in a unit area. It indicates the yearly sequence and spatial arrangement of crops and fallow in an area.

The traditionally used cropping systems are monoculture, intercropping, crop rotation, fallow systems, shifting cultivation, strip cropping, multiple cropping, contour strip cropping, and cover crops.

Types of Cropping Systems:

(a) Monocropping (Monoculture): Monocropping involves growing only one crop on a piece of land year after year. This may be due to climatological or socioeconomic conditions, or because the farmer specializes in growing a particular crop, such as rice cultivation.

(b) Multiple Cropping: Multiple cropping involves growing two or more crops on the same piece of land within one calendar year.

(c) Contour Strip Cropping: Contour strip cropping alternates strips of closely sown crops, such as hay, wheat, or other small grains, with strips of row crops, such as corn, soybeans, cotton, or sugar beets. This technique helps to stop soil erosion by creating natural dams for water, thereby preserving soil strength.

(d) Strip Cropping: Strip cropping involves alternating closely sown strip crops, such as cotton, corn, sugar beets, soybeans, etc., with small grains, such as millet, wheat, or hay.

(e) Shifting Cultivation: Shifting cultivation is an agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned while post-disturbance fallow vegetation is allowed to freely grow while the cultivator moves on to another plot.

(f) Intercropping: Intercropping is the growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land with a definite row pattern, such as Jowar + Tur, Cotton + Soya bean. Intercropping is divided into two types: additive series and replacement series, based on the percentage of plant population used for each crop in the intercrop system.

1. Additive Series: In this series, one crop is sown with 100% of its recommended population in the pure stand, which is known as the base crop. Another crop, known as an intercrop, is introduced into the base crop by adjusting or changing crop geometry. The population of the intercrop is less than its recommended population in the pure stand.
2. Replacement Series: In these, both crops are called component crops. By sacrificing a certain proportion of the population of one component, another crop is introduced. The main objective of intercropping is higher productivity per unit area, in addition to stability in production and utilizing resources efficiently to increase productivity.

For successful intercropping, certain important requirements must be met. The time of peak nutrient demands of component crops should not overlap, competition for light should be minimum among the component crops, complementary should exist between the component crops, and the difference in the maturity of component crops should be at least 30 days.

Types of Cropping

Mixed cropping: It involves growing two or more crops simultaneously, intermingled without following any specific row pattern. Farmers usually mix seeds of different crops in specific proportions and sow them together, for example, groundnut, cotton, and mustard or wheat and mustard.

Sequence cropping: It involves growing two or more crops in sequence on the same piece of land in a farming year. This can be double (2 crops), triple (3 crops), or quadruple (4 crops). Examples of sequence cropping include cotton, groundnut, wheat, and gram, among others.

Relay Cropping: It refers to planting a succeeding crop before harvesting the preceding crop, like in a relay race where a crop hands over the land to the next crop in quick succession. Ratoon cropping, or ratooning, refers to revising a crop with growth coming out of roots or stalks after the harvest of the main crop. Sugarcane ratooning is an example of this.

Efficient cropping systems: The most efficient cropping system for a particular farm depends on on-farm resources, farm enterprises, and farm technology. Farm resources include land, labor, water, capital, and infrastructure.

When land is limited, farmers adopt intensive cropping to fully utilize available water and labor. When sufficient and cheap labor is available, farmers include vegetable crops in the cropping system as they require more labor.

Capital-intensive crops like sugarcane, banana, turmeric, and ginger find a place in the cropping system when capital is not a constraint.

In areas with low rainfall (less than 750 mm/annum), farmers practice mono-cropping, while intercropping is practiced in areas with rainfall exceeding 750 mm.

With sufficient irrigation water, triple and quadruple cropping is adopted when other climatic factors are not limiting.

When the farm enterprise includes a dairy, the cropping system should contain fodder crops as a component.

(g) Crop Rotation

It refers to the practice of cultivating a recurrent succession of crops on the same piece of land, either within a year or over a longer period. Crop rotation is a process of growing different crops in succession on a piece of land within a specific period, with the aim of maximizing profit from minimal investment without damaging the soil's fertility.

Characteristics of Crop Rotation or Principles of Crop Rotation

Crop rotation should be adaptable to the existing soil, climatic, and economic factors in the area.

The cropping sequence adopted for a specific area should be based on proper land utilization. It should be arranged around the fields on the farm so that yields can be maintained, and soil losses through erosion can be minimized.

The rotation should contain a sufficient acreage of soil-improving crops to maintain and build up the organic matter content of the soil.

In areas where legumes can be successfully grown, the rotation should include enough acreage of legumes to maintain the nitrogen supply of the soil.

The rotation should provide roughage and pasturage for the livestock on the farm.

It should be arranged to help control weeds, plant diseases, and insect pests.

The rotation should provide for the acreage of the most profitable cash crops that are adapted to the area.

The rotation should be arranged to make production and labor utilization efficient. Exhaustive crops (such as potatoes and sugarcane) should be followed by less exhaustive crops (such as oilseeds and pulses).

Crops with tap roots should be followed by those with a fibrous root system. This helps ensure the proper and uniform use of nutrients from the soil, and roots do not compete with each other for nutrient uptake.

The selection of crops should not be a problem and should be based on the needs and demands of the people in the area, as well as the farmer's financial conditions, soil, and climatic conditions. For example, on sloping lands, alternate cropping of erosion-promoting and erosion-resisting crops should be adopted. Under dry land or limited irrigation, drought-tolerant crops (such as Jowar and Bajra) should be used, while in low-lying and flood-prone areas, water-stagnation-tolerant crops (such as Paddy and Jute) should be used.

Crops of the same family should not be grown in succession because they act like alternate hosts for insect pests and disease pathogens and weeds associated with crops.

An ideal crop rotation provides maximum employment for the family and farm labor. Machines and equipment are used efficiently so that all agricultural operations are done timely.

Advantages of Crop Rotation

1. There is an overall increase in the yield of crops due to the maintenance of the proper physical condition of the soil and its organic matter content.
2. The inclusion of crops having different feeding zones and different nutrient requirements helps in maintaining a better balance of nutrients in the soil.
3. Diversification of crops reduces the risk of financial loss from unfavorable weather conditions and damage due to pests and diseases.
4. It facilitates more even distribution of labor.
5. There is a regular flow of income over the year.
6. The incidence of weeds, pests, and diseases is reduced and can be kept under control.
7. Proper choice of crops in rotation helps to prevent soil erosion.
8. It supplies various needs of the farmer and his cattle.
9. Agricultural operations can be done timely for all the crops because of less competition. (The supervisory work also becomes easier).
10. Proper utilization of all the resources and inputs could be made by following crop rotation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cropping systems play a crucial role in agricultural practices, determining the crop patterns and management techniques used on a farm. Different types of cropping systems, such as monocropping, intercropping, crop rotation, and others, offer farmers a range of options to optimize their land utilization, maximize yields, and preserve soil fertility. The choice of cropping system depends on factors like climate, available resources, labor, and economic conditions.

Among the various cropping systems, intercropping stands out as a method to achieve higher productivity per unit area by growing two or more crops simultaneously with a definite row pattern. Efficient intercropping requires careful consideration of factors like complementary crop characteristics, minimal competition for light and nutrients, and staggered maturity periods.

Additionally, crop rotation is a valuable practice that involves cultivating a recurrent succession of crops on the same land, helping maintain soil fertility, controlling pests and diseases, and providing a diversified income stream.

By adopting suitable cropping systems, farmers can enhance their agricultural productivity, reduce risks associated with weather and pests, and promote sustainable farming practices. It is important for farmers to understand the characteristics and principles of different cropping systems and choose the most suitable ones based on their specific farm resources and goals. With thoughtful planning and implementation, cropping systems can contribute to the overall success and resilience of agricultural operations.