Intercropping can be defined as a multiple cropping system that two or more crops planted. The economics of monocropping and intercropping by smallholders. Intercropping offers farmers agronomic advantages over monocrop ping. The solar corridor concept is a maize monocropping or intercropping system where plants are grown in single or twin rows twin row width. Examples planting alternating rows of maize and beans, or growing a cover. Intercropping creates biodiversity, which attracts a variety of beneficial and predatory insects that isnt possible with monoculture gardening. The secondary crops can provide shelter and even protect the primary crops.
Whereas these types of intercropping vary by spatial con. The results showed that the cucumber shoot biomass was im. This article contains a comparison of the profits of cultivating modern and traditional varieties of coconuts as a monocrop and as an intercrop, in ideal and in average growing conditions, with good and with average management. While there are some distinct advantages to this technique, it is environmentally questionable and can potentially lead to serious economic problems for. The continuous cropping obstacle of cucumber cucumis sativus l.
Intercropping is more prevalent among households with more household members and more land than monocropping households. For those who havent, you may wonder what is monocropping. In monocropping, traits in the chosen crop exploit the environment exclusively for that crop, and focus on increasing the availability and acquisition of limiting resources white et al. The ler is defined as the total land area required for monocropping system to give the grain yields obtained in the intercropping system.
Intercropping has a number of advantages over monocultures. Impact of intercropping tomato and maize on the infestation of tomato fruit borer helicoverpa armigera hubner degri m. Available formats pdf please select a format to send. Difference between mixed cropping and intercropping with.
Despite the lack of transgressive overyielding in that study, the average cvs were 0. Intercropping and crop rotation are alternative strategies applied in multiple cropping, the growing of two or more crops in the same piece of land. This is associated with an imbalance in soil microbial and ecological environment in longterm monocultures. The processes involving ph modification, carboxylate exudation and phosphorus p dynamics in the rhizosphere of crops grown in intercropping are poorly understood. Miguel quemada, kristian thorupkristensen, intercropping effect on root growth and nitrogen uptake at different nitrogen levels, journal of plant ecology, volume 8, issue 4, august. Intercropping significantly reduced soil olsenp only in 2012, soil exchangeable k in both years, soil cation exchangeable capacity cec in 2012, and soil ph in 2012.
Intercropping is a ways to increase diversity in an agricultural ecosystem. In mozambique, longterm maizelegume intercropping and zerotillage improved rainfall infiltration. Intercropping is quite common around the world and it is not just farmers but also hobbyists and gardeners who practice intercropping. However, there are few published reports on soil fertility in intercropping relative to monocultures. Stability comparison of intercropping and monocropping systems.
However, in all cases the highest total gross margin is achieved when the traditional crop enterprises are com bined with crop rotation see also figs 3 and 4. The nodule dry weight of faba bean was increased significantly by 1. The potential of intercropping food crops and energy crop to. A general overview on intercropping and its advantages in. In contrast, strip intercropping is the practice of growing two or more crop species in separate, but adjacent, rows at the same time. Research needs to be directed to test these alternatives.
Maize and pigeonpea intercropping systems in mpumalanga. Lsms integrated surveys on agriculture, united republic. The present research work was conducted at horticultural research station, mondouri, faculty of horticulture, bidhan chandra krishi viswavidyalaya, nadia, west bengal, india from julydecember, 2017. The yield reduction in the intercropping systems for ld and md pigeonpea cultivars ranged from 7. Monocropping is an agricultural practice in which the same crop is planted year after year, without practicing crop rotation or resting the soil. 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. Intercropping, the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops in the same space at the same time, is an old and commonly. The results show that yields of the component crops in monoculture were relatively the same as in intercropping, resulted in a high land equivalent ratio ler. We carry out the analysis from a private financial and from a national economic perspective. Planting monoculture crops may seem an easy method of gardening but, in fact, the adverse effects of monocropping can lead to a number of issues down the road. The effect of intercropping of maize and soybean on. Intercropping only significantly affected head diameter, achene weight per head and grain yield in 2002. Intercropping with various amounts of green garlic displayed significantly different effects on the nutrient element contents table 3 and and4. However, in 2001, the varietal effect was significant for all the yield attributes and grain yield, but did not affect any of the variable in 2002 table 3.
The results show that intercropping generates more income than. Only the machinery necessary to maintain the crop needs to be bought. The crop is the same over the whole farm, therefore farmingmanagemnt decisions are simplified. Conventional farming and monocropping systems in addition to depletion the natural resource, is caused environmental pollution. The ideotype required of a particular crop is likely to differ for monocropping and intercropping.
Intercropping sorghum with cowpea in dryland farming. There are advantages and disadvantages of intercropping. The purpose behind intercropping is to increase yields by doubling up on available growing space. In mixed cropping or mixed farming, two independent crops are mixed together and grown in an area, whereas the intercropping is a multiple. Consequently, researchers have proposed general categories of benefits and utilities of intercropping. The aim of this study is to analyze the intercropping ability to enhance yield stability and ensure food security compare with monocropping systems. A factorial experiment was carried out at three dryland localities of. The shoot and root concentrations of n and p in the cucumbers were significantly increased in all treatments compared with monocropping table 3. Monocropping style production has significant problems and that there exists a sufficient justification for studying intercropping approaches. The biomass potential and fertilizer n requirements of monocropped corn zea mays grown using conventional tillage were compared with those of corn intercropped with alfalfa. A potbased experiment was conducted to investigate the green garliccucumber intercropping and cucumber monocropping systems. Monoculture crops learn about the effects of monocropping. This arrangement allows for better light distribution to. Youve likely heard the term monoculture at one time or other.
Protein fraction and digestibility of marandu, xaraes and. Crop rotation and intercropping are regarded as better cropping in terms of yield improvement of both cereal and legume crops as compared to monocropping. Intercropping perennials with corn has the potential to improve utilization of the growing season over monocropping corn in regions where a substantial portion of the growing season is too cool for corn growth. Although intensive monocropping is much easier for largescale farmers, who plant and harvest one crop on. What are the advantages and disadvantages of monocropping. A field experiment was therefore established in 2009 in gansu province, northwest china.
Multiple cropping has been practiced in many parts of the world. Difference between mixed cropping and intercropping. A general overview on intercropping and its advantages in sustainable agriculture. 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. Agricultural to concept of ways and methods of the operation of water resources.
The difference between mixed cropping and intercropping are described in the points given below. Key differences between mixed cropping and intercropping. A metaanalysis of 69 intercropped systems found greater yield stability in grass grain legume intercrops compared to those crops in monoculture. Information about the openaccess article protein fraction and digestibility of marandu, xaraes and campo grande grasses in monocropping and intercropping systems under different sowing methods doi. Soil total n tn did not differ between intercropping and monocropping in either year with the sole exception of maizefaba bean intercropping receiving 80 kg p ha.
Its cultivation could promote an agroindustrial development aimed. A metaanalysis of 69 intercropped systems found greater yield stability in grassgrain legume intercrops compared to those crops in monoculture. Yields of both maize and pigeonpea in intercropping systems were generally lower than in monocropping systems in both the trials table 1. Intercropping for enhanced yield stability and food security. Performance of maizesoybean intercropping under various n. These agricultural crop planting practices assist in varying the set of soil nutrients, thereby reducing the likelihood of soil erosion. Multiple cropping is not a new form of agricultural technology, but instead is an ancient means of intensive farming. Department of economics, university of british columbia.
Intercropping also allows you to grow cash crops or any crop that will actually supplement the primary crop in some way. The effect of intercropping of maize and soybean on microclimate hanming he, lei yang, liming fan, lihua zhao, han wu, jing yang, and chengyun li key lab. Pdf a general overview on intercropping and its advantages in. Interactive influences of intercropping by nitrogen on. Comparison between land equivalent ratio ler and monetary advantage of the intercrop over monocropped maize and combined monocrop yield. The treatments comprised maizefaba bean, maizesoybean, maizechickpea and maizeturnip intercropping, and their correspoding monocropping. Poor yields intercropping can lead to poorer yields. Intercropping, the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops in the same space at the same time, is an old and. It was postulated that intercropping with green garlic would relieve the continuous cropping obstacle of cucumber by altering the soil microecology status.
Intercropping sunflower with soyabeans enhances total crop. Obviously, only in one out of the four cases does intercropping outyield one of the other two cropping systems, namely the monocropping system under the lowinput situation. Intercropping effect on root growth and nitrogen uptake at different nitrogen levels. These advantages include reduced risk from natural calamities.
Both cropping systems have resulted to increased farm production and. Intercropping is a common practice which allows for better resource use efficiency, increases yield stability as compared to monocropping. The economics of monocropping and intercropping by. Pdf effect of monoculture and intercropping on radiation use.
Intercropping soyabeans with sunflower affected grain yield of. Pdf on jan 20, 2009, yang gao and others published effect of monoculture and intercropping on radiation use efficiency and yield of maize. Monocropping is when the field is used to grow only one crop season after season. Intercropping is the companion planting method of growing one crop alongside another. A study in central malawi found that intercropping maize and pigeon peas under conservation agriculture produced almost double the vegetative biomass, and in drier years 33 percent more maize grain than conventionally tilled maize monocropping. Rhizosphere properties in monocropping and intercropping. Intercropping enhances productivity and maintains the most. The effect of intercropping of maize and soybean on microclimate. Intercropping can be defined as a multiple cropping system that two or more crops planted in a field during a growing season. When two or more crops are sown and cultivated at the same time in the particular area. Intercropping is the traditional agricultural cultivation practice in the. Mono cropping style production has significant problems and that there exists a sufficient justification for studying intercropping approaches.