Question

Explain the different cropping patterns.

Answer 1

Cropping patterns : To improve the yield of crops by complete utilization of nutrients and prevent pest control, we should use different cropping patterns which are as follows :
(i) Mixed cropping : It refers to the sowing of two or more different crops together in the same field, e.g., wheat and gram. Wheat crops decrease the fertility of soil on the other hand gram crops support it by fixing atmospheric nitrogen with the help of nitrogen fixing bacteria. By this way of cropping we can save time and labour and improve the fertility of soil. Some of the mixed cropping practices are wheat-mustard, millet + cowpea, cotton + mungbean.
(ii) Intercropping : It is growing of two or more crop simultaneously on the same field in a definite row pattern. It means few rows of one crop and adjoining to that few rows of another crop. By this way of cropping, we may get better yield of both crop e.g., soyabean + maize.
(iii) Crop rotation : If the same crop is grown every year in the same field, then the fertility of the soil decreases. To avoid this situation, we use crop rotation. It stores the fertility of the soil. So crop rotation is the process of growing two or more types of crops alternately in the same field. Based on duration, crop rotation is applied for various crop combination.