Question

What is meant by intensive cropping?

Answer 1

Intensive cropping:

1. Intensive cropping is an agricultural technique that involves the cultivation of more than a single crop in an agricultural field in an annual cycle.
2. This involves planting different crops according to their respective seasons.
3. Intensive cropping can be carried out in a rotational farming manner whereby different crops are cultivated in a rotational manner over a year.
4. Crops with different nutritional requirements are chosen for intensive farming.

Benefits of intensive cropping:

1. The different crops ensure that the soil does not become deficient in a particular nutrient/mineral that is continuously used by a crop. Different crops utilize different nutrients and the soil never becomes devoid of a particular mineral.
2. The greater quantity of crops helps in binding the soil particles and prevents soil erosion.
3. Cultivating a greater variety of crops also ensures that the per capita income of the field is maintained even when a pest infestation destroys a particular crop. The sale of other crops compensates for the loss of the pest-infested crops.