Mixed intercropping within rows, where the component crops are planted. Inter and intraspecific competition for resources determine yield in mixed cropping. Intercropping induce changes in above and below ground plant. Mixed cropping is a farming practice of sowing two or three crops together on the same land. The rationale behind intercropping is that the different crops planted are unlikely to share the same insect pests and diseasedcausing pathogens and to conserve the soil. Intercropping refers to process of cultivating crops wherein different types of crops are cultivated together in a specified pattern. Row intercropping, mixed intercropping, strip intercropping and relayintercropping are most important types. Among them, two of the most commonly followed practices are the mixed cropping and intercropping. The treatments were sole maize crop, sole cowpea crop, intercrop 1 spacing of 40 cm between of maize and cowpea and intercrop 2 spacing of 30 cm between maize and cowpea served as treatments the experiment was montored from november to march the resuts show that ony maize.
Best practices alley croppingagroforestry and intercropping. Research needs to be directed to test these alternatives. Multiple cropping has been practiced in many parts of the world. Intercrops provide shade and support to the other crop. It helps to avoid intercrop competition and thus a higher number of crop plants are grown per unit area. Seasonal and yearround intercropping systems for smallholder. Row intercropping is when two or more crops are planted together. Advantages of maizelegume intercropping systems article pdf available in journal of agricultural science and technology b 33. Mature plantations over 25 years old allow sufficient light to enter the understorey making conditions suitable for underplanting. Based on the climatic characteristics, the nature of the land and other factors, various cropping systems are practised by farmers. The difference between mixed cropping and intercropping are described in the points given below. Apr 15, 2020 intercropping is an agricultural practice in which two or more crops are grown together in the same field. The component crops of an intercropping system do not.
Intercropping induce changes in above and below ground plant compartments in mixed cropping system jamal nasar1, ashfaq alam2, aisha nasar3 and muhammad zubair khan4 1college of resources and environmental sciences, china 2department of horticulture, pakistan 3government degree college, pakistan 4college of agronomy, china. Intercropping patterns and different farming systems affect. The farmers follow some specific pattern or systems to grow crops. You should consider the rewards and challenges before you decide either way. Mixed intercropping layout for a vegetable garden home.
Mixed cropping, companion planting, relay cropping, interseeding, overseeding, underseeding, smother cropping, planting polycultures, and using living mulch are all forms of intercropping see glossary at the end of this chapter. Row intercropping growing two or more species in rows crops with crops or crops with service plant. Intercropping of plants aims to stimulate interspecific belowground interactions, which may result in improved nutrient availability and increased yield of crops 34. The practice of intercropping has actually been around since farming began. Difference between mixed cropping and intercropping. Mixed cropping alludes to a method of cropping in which two or more crops are grown simultaneously in the same piece of land. Harvest gains from intercropping aggie horticulture. It means having more than one type of crop growing in the same space at the same time. Pdf advantages of maizelegume intercropping systems. Rice, wheat, vegetables and other plants grown in a large scale for profit and survival is known as a crop. The secondary crops can provide shelter and even protect the primary crops.
A crop is a plant that is grown on a large scale for profit or survival, e. For example, wheat, gram and mustard are grown as mixed rabi crops in dry regions of northern india. Difference between mixed cropping and intercropping mixed cropping and intercropping are two methods of diversified farming techniques where more than one types of crops are grown in the same unit area. Jan 14, 2017 intercropping is quite common around the world and it is not just farmers but also hobbyists and gardeners who practice intercropping. Mixed intercropping systems can be very complex with a number of crops produced together. May 19, 2018 mixed cropping have many advantages which include. And because mixed intercropping does away with traditional notions of rows and plots, you can maximize the space in your garden. Vandermeer, 1992 and is one mechanism by which the functional diversity of an agroecosystem can be increased brooker et al. Variations include alley cropping, where crops are grown in between rows of trees, and strip cropping, where multiple rows, or a strip, of. A major differences between mixed cropping and intercropping. Analysis of yield advantage in mixed cropping wur edepot.
Intercropping, also referred to as mixed cropping or polyculture, is the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops in the same space at the same time andrews and kassam, 1976. These agricultural crop planting practices assist in varying the set of soil nutrients, thereby reducing the likelihood of soil erosion. Modernization of farming equipment has changed our farming practices into what they are today, which is largely mono cropping. Irrigation, mixed cropping, intercropping and crop. Mixed intercropping, as the name implies, is the most basic form in which the component crops are totally mixed in the available space. In addition to achieving greater productivity, diversifying cropping systems through the use of strategic intercrops can increase yield stability, reduce pests, and improve. In another study, intercropping of pearl millet with cowpea or groundnut showed their significant effects on soil and crop productivity after either sole or intercrop.
On the other hand, intercropping is a multiple cropping system whereby two or more crop species are planted simultaneously on the same farmland in one planting season. To optimize plant density, the seedling rate of each. Nov 17, 2019 mixed cropping, also known as polyculture, inter cropping, or cocultivation, is a type of agriculture that involves planting two or more plants simultaneously in the same field, interdigitating the cropslike interlocking your fingersso that they grow together. Intercropping persisted in agrarian societies after being rejected by the western world with the advent of highly mechanized farming. Effects of intercropping on the performance of maize and. Row cropping involves the component crops arranged in alternate rows. These ways of growing are not new, but have been somewhat forgotten by many gardeners. Mixed cropping is a very old cropping formula against crop failure due to abnormal weather conditions.
The use of mixed species cropping to manage pests and diseases. Jan 24, 2017 there are three basic classifications of intercropping. May 16, 20 if you are short of growing space or want to make the most of the space you have, there are a couple of growing practices that can help. Oct 18, 2018 inter cropping gives additional yield incomeunit area than sole cropping. Mixed cropping is the practice of growing of two or more crop simultaneously on the same piece of land. Jan 25, 2020 distinguish between mixed cropping and intercropping. Relay intercropping plant a second crop into a standing crop at a time when the standing crop is at its reproductive stage but before harvesting okigbo, 1979. The basic objective in mixed cropping is to minimise the risk and insure against the crop failure due to abnormal weather conditions. Francis2 abstract we do not know rolzert intercroppinh bgpan nor why early civilizations fostered its use.
Intercropping is the practice of growing different crops in the same field. Difference between mixed cropping and intercropping with. When two or more crops are sown and cultivated at the same time in the particular area, then this type of cropping pattern is known as mixed cropping. Pdf intercropping, the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops in the. Pdf a general overview on intercropping and its advantages. Mixed cropping growing two or more crops together in no distinct row arrangement. Growth and yields of field crops in intercropping culture jircas. Mixed intercropping ensures that the ground is covered, and therefore weeds are suppressed. A cropping technique in which two or more plants or crops are planted simultaneously in the same piece of land in a specific row pattern.
Multiple cropping is not a new form of agricultural technology, but instead is an ancient means of intensive farming. The two most common cropping systems followed by farmers are mixed cropping and intercropping. Common index of mixed cropping productivity is the land equivalent ratio ler which is the ratio of the area needed under sole cropping to one of intercropping at the same management level to produce an equal amount of yield francis, 1986. Mixed intercropping systems where two, or often more species, are grown. This latter criterion distinguishes intercropping from mixed. Intercropping patterns and different farming systems affect the yield and yield components of safflower and bitter vetch jalal jalilian, azin najafabadi and mohammad reza zardashti department of agronomy, faculty of agriculture, urmia university, urmia, iran abstract.
However, the use of land equivalent ratio ler as a measure for calculating the cropping advantage of intercrops over sole crops is too simple. However, closely spaced palms, aged 825 years, are generally not suitable for inter and mixed cropping. There are advantages and disadvantages of intercropping. Pdf a general overview on intercropping and its advantages in. Relay intercropping describes a cropping pattern in which the life cycle of one crop overlaps that of another crop. Crops yield increases with intercropping due to higher growth rate, reduction of weeds, pests and diseases and more effective use of resources. Nov 21, 2017 key differences between mixed cropping and intercropping. Intercropping can be of row, mixed, relay and strip depend on the method and time of planting. Poor yields intercropping can lead to poorer yields. Strip, mixed, and relay intercropping can be used to increase crop yields through resource partitioning and facilitation.
The land equivalent ratio ler was used as index for mixed stand advantage for both legume and nonlegume. Significance of intercropping in cropping systems m. The species combinations and intercropping systems included. This practice is ancient, as numerous records from human societies all over the world indicate. Distinguish between mixed cropping and intercropping.
Row intercropping, mixed intercropping, strip intercropping and relay intercropping are most important types of intercropping. Intercropping can also alter conditions in the shared rhizosphere and thereby affect the availability of selected pte to neighboring plants 35. A cropping technique in which two or more plants or crops are planted simultaneously in the same piece of land. Concepts and differentiation of inter and mixed cropping,concepts and differentiation of inter and mixed cropping, principles involved in inter cropping and mixed croppingprinciples involved in inter cropping and mixed cropping systems under rainfed and irrigated conditions andsystems under rainfed and irrigated conditions. These growing methods are commonly known as intercropping and catch cropping. In mixed cropping or mixed farming, two independent crops are mixed together and grown in an area, whereas the intercropping is a multiple. Intercropping can be defined as a multiple cropping system that two or more crops planted in a field during a growing season. Crops are chosen in mixed cropping such a way that no crop competes for resources like sunlight, nutrients, water, root pattern, crop duration. Inter cropping system utilizes resources efficiently and their productivity is increased reddy and redid. Why some farmers try something different intercropping is defined simply as growing two or more crop types on one field. Jan 24, 2018 mixed cropping is the practice of growing two or more crops together on the same piece of land in one crop season. Mixed or multiple cropping is the cultivation of two or more crops simultaneously on the same field without a row arrangement.
Rowintercropping, mixed intercropping, stripintercropping and relayintercropping are most important types. There are many spatial combinations possible for intercropping, including mixed intercropping, in which different crops are planted in the same row or without regard to row, and row intercropping, which involves planting different crops in alternating rows. Intercropping includes the growing of two or more cash crops together. Harvesting options for intercrops include hand harvest. Intercropping is the practice of growing two or more crops or genotypes together for a part of or the whole growing season willey, 1990. Intercropping also allows you to grow cash crops or any crop that will actually supplement the primary crop in some way. Mixed cropping also requires fewer nutrient inputs such as fertilizers, pruning, pest control, and irrigation than monoculture farming, and as is often more costeffective as a result. A general overview on intercropping and its advantages in sustainable agriculture.
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