Class Notes on Agro-5222 (Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture) for [Link].

Ag.(Hons.) Students by [Link], Professor (Agronomy),CARS, Mahasamund (C.G.)

Lecture-5
Types of cropping systems and their Advantages and Limitations

Depending on the resources and technology available, different types of cropping systems
are adopted on farms. Broadly three types of cropping system are followed

I. Mono cropping
Mono cropping or monoculture is the agricultural practice of growing of single crop on
a piece of land year after year. It might be due to climatologically and socio economic conditions
or due to specialization of farmers in growing a particular crop. Under rainfed conditions, millets,
groundnut or cotton are grown year after year due to limitation of rainfall. In canal irrigate areas,
under waterlogged condition; rice crop is grown, as it is not possible to grow any other crop. The
reason behind mono-culture are:
 Farmers have no choice to cultivate many crops as their land holding is very
small.
 The soil and climatic conditions do not permit the cultivation of many crops in
under sequential or inter cropping system.
 The crop grown is main article in diet and Specialization of farmer.
Limitations of Mono-cropping
 The resources like labour, fertilizers, water and machines are not utilized efficiently.
 Mono-cropping severely depletes the soil fertility and productivity.
 There are chances of occurrence of insect, diseases and weed infestation.
 Soil structure may be deteriorated.
 Natural resources are not fully utilized.
 Class Notes on Agro-5222 (Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture) for [Link].
Ag.(Hons.) Students by [Link], Professor (Agronomy),CARS, Mahasamund (C.G.)

 Mono-cropping also generally reduces crop diversity.

 Additionally, the practice is very dangerous when natural disasters or shifting weather
devastate a crop.
[Link] cropping
Growing two or more crops on the same piece of land in one calendar year is known as
multiple cropping. It is intensification of cropping in time and space dimension, i.e., more
number of crops within a year and more number of crops on the same piece of land at any given
period. It includes inter-cropping, mixed cropping and sequence cropping. Double cropping is a
case where the land is occupied by two crops, which are grown in a year in sequence.
Advantages of multiple cropping
 Optimum utilization of natural resources i.e. land, water and solar radiation
 Avoid risk of total crop failure due to erratic rainfall and ensures food security..
 Increases the annual net yield and monetary returns per unit area.
 Costs of input decrease as compared to individual crop growing cost
 Reduce pest and disease attack.
 Fulfills various needs of food grains, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fodder etc at a time
 It helps to maintain the soil fertility.
 It helps to control weeds.
Limitations of multiple cropping
 The survival of pests become easy
 Fertility and productivity of the soil is lowered or exhausted if proper soil
management practices are not followed.
 Problem of weed management
 Implementation of new technology is difficult etc.
[Link] multiple cropping
Under this cropping system two or more crops are grown simultaneously in the same land
which have different growth habits and have a zero competition between each other and both of them
express their full yield potential. e.g. green or black gram in maize. It includes following cropping
systems:
[Link] 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
Mixed cropping is common practice in rainfed or dry farming areas. Generally, legumes crops
like red gram, black gram, green gram, cowpea etc. or oilseed crops like groundnut, mustard etc.
are grown mixed with cereal crops like jowar or bajra.
Sowing is done by drilling the mixture of seed with the help of seed drill attached behind the
plough. Usually, cereals are grown as main crop and pulses or oilseeds as minor or mixed crop.
Advantages of mixed cropping
 Class Notes on Agro-5222 (Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture) for [Link].
Ag.(Hons.) Students by [Link], Professor (Agronomy),CARS, Mahasamund (C.G.)

 Risk of failure of crop is less.

 Fulfills the daily requirements of food grains, oilseeds, pulses etc.
 Improve fertility of the soil if legumes are taken as minor crop.
 Better distribution of labour through out the crop period.
 Increase gross monitory returns.
 Well balanced cattle feed is obtained.
 Safeguards against pests and diseases.
 Full utilization of space and available plant nutrients.
Limitations of mixed cropping
 Control of pests, diseases and weeds become difficult.
 It may affects the yield of main crop.
 Harvesting with the help of machinery is not possible.
Types of Mixed Cropping
(a)Mixed crop: Seeds of different crops are mixed together and then sown either in lines or
broadcasted is called as mixed crop.
(b)Companion crop: Seeds of different crops are not mixed together but different crops are
sown in different rows is called as companion crop.
(c)Guard crop: The main crop is sown in the center, surrounded by hardy crop to provide
protection to main crop is called as guard crop. E.g. Safflower around wheat.
(d) Augmenting crop: Sub crops are sown to supplement the yield of main crop, the sub crop is
called as augmenting crops. e.g. Japanese mustard with berseem.
2. Intercropping
Intercropping is growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land
with a definite row pattern. For example, growing mustard and chickpea in 4:2 row ratio. Thus,
cropping intensity in space dimension is achieved. Intercropping was originally practiced as an
insurance against crop failure under rainfed condition. Intercropping was originally practiced as
an insurance against crop failure under rainfed condition. Other examples of intercropping are
Maize + green gram (2:1), Wheat + lentil (4:2), etc. LER of intercropping system should be 1.
Objectives of Intercropping
The main objective of inter-cropping is the intensification of cropping both in time and space
dimensions and to raise productivity per unit area. The most common goal of intercropping is to
produce a greater yield on a given piece of land by making use of resources that would otherwise
not be utilized by a single crop.
Requirement for Intercropping
Careful planning is required for successful intercropping. Generally, a leguminous crop is
grown along with the main crop. Legumes helps to increase soil fertility by fixing atmospheric
nitrogen. Intercropping where two or more different crops are grown at the same time, like
carbohydrate rich cereal that uses soil nitrogen and N fixing legume that puts back the nitrogen
 Class Notes on Agro-5222 (Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture) for [Link].
Ag.(Hons.) Students by [Link], Professor (Agronomy),CARS, Mahasamund (C.G.)

in the soil Usually a long duration crop is grown with a short duration one so that both get
sufficient nutrition at the time of maturity. Following points should also be considered while
adopting intercropping systems:
 Intercrop should mature earlier or later than the base crop or main crop.
 It should have different growth habits and nutrient requirements in order to have
minimum competition.
 It should differ in canopy development and sunlight requirement.
Advantages of intercropping
1. Better utilization of growth resources including land, nutrients, light and water.
2. Successful intercropping gives higher equivalent yields (yield of base crop + yield of
intercrop) and higher cropping intensity
3. Less risk against crop diseases and pests
4. It helps to suppress weeds, improve soil health and reduce soil erosion.
5. Additional income from the companion crop
Limitations of intercropping
1. Intercrop may compete with the main crop for light, water and nutrients, which may
reduce the yields of both crops.
2. Sowing and harvesting is difficult.
Types of Intercropping
There are at least five types of intercropping according to spatial arrangement
a) Row Intercropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously, where one or more
crops are planted in rows. Often simply referred as intercropping. Example-Maize +
green gram (1:1), Maize +black gram (1:1), Groundnut + Pigeonpea (6:1).
b) Strip Intercropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously in strips wide enough
to allow independent cultivation of crops, but narrow enough for the crops to interact
agronomically. Example-Groundnut + Pigeonpea (6:4) strip.
c) Mixed cropping: Growing of two or more crops simultaneously intermingled without
row arrangement. It is a traditional practice in most of dry land tracts of India. Seeds of
different crops are mixed in certain proportion and are sown. The objective is to meet the
family requirement of cereals, pulses and vegetables. Example-Sorghum, pearl millet and
cowpea are mixed and broadcasted in rainfed conditions.
d) Patch cropping: Where component crops are planted in patches is called as patch
cropping
e) Relay Intercropping: It is a system in which a second crop is planted into an existing
crop when it has flowered (reproductive stage) but before harvesting. There is thus a
minimum temporal overlap of two or more crops.
f) Alley cropping/Hedge row intercropping: It is a type of intercropping where arable
crops are grown in between the alleys (interspace) formed by the two hedge rows or
 Class Notes on Agro-5222 (Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture) for [Link].
Ag.(Hons.) Students by [Link], Professor (Agronomy),CARS, Mahasamund (C.G.)

leguminous shrub rows. It is also called as hedge row intercropping. Example- growing
jowar, maize, bajra etc. in the alleys (5-10 spacing/passage between two rows) of
leguminous shrubs like subabul (Leucaena leucacephala). This system is useful for
conservation of moisture and maintaining fertility of soil in dry farming areas. The
loppings (green biomass) of the subabul are used as green fodder for animals or spread in
between the crop rows as mulch for conservation of soil moisture and after decaying it
adds organic matter to the soil.
Advantages of alley cropping
 Better utilization of natural resources and reduces the cost of cultivation.
 Improves the soil fertility and productivity.
Limitations of alley cropping
 Competition among the natural resources i.e moisture, nutrients, light and space.
 Less crop yield is obtained.
Types of Intercropping based on the Plant population
Based on the percent of plant population maintained for each crop in intercropping
system, it is divided in two types:
(a)Additive Series: In this system, the main crop is sown with 100 percent of its recommended
population in pure stand which is known as
the base crop. Another crop known as
intercrop (component crop) is introduced
into the base crop by adjusting or changing
crop geometry. The population of intercrop
is less than its recommended population in
the pure stand. Land Equivalent Ratio
(LER) is more than 1. It is mostly used in
India. (Fig.1)
(b)Replacement Series: In this
system of intercropping, both the
crops are called component crops.
By sacrificing certain proportion of
population of one component,
another component is introduced.
For example, growing of maize +
soybean in 2:2 row ratio.
Replacement series is less efficient
than the additive series (Fig.2).
 Class Notes on Agro-5222 (Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture) for [Link].
Ag.(Hons.) Students by [Link], Professor (Agronomy),CARS, Mahasamund (C.G.)

Examples of additive and replacement series of Intercropping

Additive series-1:1 row Additive series-1:2 row Replacement series-1:5 row
proportion proportion proportion
Planting of maize at 90 x Planting of maize at 90 x 20 cm Planting of maize at 180 x 20
20 cm geometry (100 % geometry (100 % plant cm geometry (plant density at
plant population with one population with two rows of a 60 % of its sole planting due to
rows of a legume between legume between maize rows (60 replacement of one row in
maize rows (30 % plant % plant population of its sole between two rows of maize.
population of its sole planting). Five rows of legumes between
planting). maize rows (77 % plant density
of their sole planting.

[Link] cropping
The concept of relay cropping has been derived from Relay race in which four runners
run in the field having flag in their hand. The first runner passes on its flag to the succeeding
partner and 2nd to 3rd to the 4th runner. Thus, relay cropping is a system in which succeeding crop
(next crop) is sown or planted when the first
crop (preceding crop) has reached in its
physiological maturity stage or before it is
ready to harvest is called as relay cropping.
Example-Lathyrus or chickpea is planted
before the harvest of rice crop and maize is
planted before the harvest of
lathyrus/chickpea. In Chhattisgarh,
Linseed/lentil/lathyrus is generally sown before the harvest of rice (at physiological maturity
stage) and this system is popularly known as Utera/Paira cropping.
Advantages of relay cropping
 Better utilization of residual moisture and fertilizers.
 Reduces the cost of cultivation practices.
 Also reduces the cost of fertilizers and irrigation.
 Labour requirement is less.
 Incidence of pest, diseases and weeds is less due to early sowing operation.
Disadvantages of relay cropping
 Class Notes on Agro-5222 (Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture) for [Link].
Ag.(Hons.) Students by [Link], Professor (Agronomy),CARS, Mahasamund (C.G.)

 Risk of crop failure is more.

 Harvesting by means machinery is difficult.
 Lack of availability of skilled labour.
 Greater incidence of pest, disease and weeds
[Link]-storied cropping
In this system the crops of different height and vertical layers of leaf canopies, sunlight
requirements and root system are grown
together on the same field is called as
multistoried cropping. Generally, the shorter
crops favouring shade and humidity are grown
in passage between the rows of taller crops,
which are tolerant to strong sunlight. e.g.
Growing of pineapple, sweet potato, black
pepper, tapioca, turmeric, ginger etc. with
coconut or arecanut.
Advantages of Multi-storied cropping
 Better utilization of moisture and nutrients in different soil layers.
 Better utilization of sunlight and space.
 Provides a balanced food for humans.
 Enrichment of organic matter or plant residues in soil.
 Improve the water holding capacity of soil
Limitations Multi-storied cropping
 Competition among the natural resources.
 More area is required.
 Lack of labour availability
 Incidence of pest, disease and weeds is more.
Synergetic cropping: The yields of both crops are higher than of their pure crop on unit area
basis is called as synergetic cropping. e.g. Sugarcane + Potato
B. Sequential Multiple cropping

(i)Sequential cropping: The sequential cropping can be defined as growing of two or more
crops in sequence on the same piece of land in a farming year. It is also known as sequence
cropping.
(a)Double cropping: Growing of 2 crops on the same field in a year e.g.: Rice-wheat, Black
gram-wheat, Rice-gram, Groundnut-wheat
(b)Triple cropping: It is t is the multiple cropping system in which three crops are grown in
sequence on a same land in a year. It is possible when irrigation facilities are available
 Class Notes on Agro-5222 (Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture) for [Link].
Ag.(Hons.) Students by [Link], Professor (Agronomy),CARS, Mahasamund (C.G.)

throughout the year e.g.: Rice-wheat-maize, Rice-wheat-groundnut, Jowar-potato-green gram,

Soybean-wheat-groundnut, Groundnut-wheat-Okra, etc.
(c)Quadruple cropping: Under irrigated conditions, four crops are grown in a sequence on the
same land in a year. e.g.: Rice-early potato-Wheat-mung, [Link]-CorianderWheat-Green gram,
Soybean-Methi-Wheat-Green gram etc.
(ii)Ratoon cropping or Ratooning
Ratoon cropping refers to raising a crop with regrowth coming out of roots or stalks after
harvest of the crop. It is one of the important systems of intensive cropping, which implies more
than one harvest from one sowing/planting. Thus, ratooning consists of allowing the stubbles of
the original crop to produce tillers after harvesting e.g. Ratooning of Sugarcane, Napier grass,
Hybrid Jowar, Hybrid Bajra, and Redgram etc.
III. Fallowing or fallow in rotation
In scarcity areas (dry farming) where rainfall is very low only two crops are taken in
three years as against one crop every year is called as fallowing or fallow in rotation.
A fallow year or season is one in which field is not cultivated with any crop but left without crop.
The field may be left undisturbed in a ploughed condition or kept clean by frequent harrowing.
This practice is useful for conservation of soil moisture and maintaining fertility of the soil. In
irrigated area, sometimes one season is kept fallow for maintaining fertility of the soil and
minimizing the damage to the soil due to continuous use of irrigation and cropping.
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