Cropping Patterns: Types & Crop Rotation

A cropping pattern is the distribution of the amount of land that is being farmed for various crops throughout time. This describes the timing and arrangement of crops on specific land. Changing the cropping pattern would have the following impacts:

• The modifications in terms of the proportion of land under the purview of various kinds of crops.
• The changes in the sequence pertaining to space and the time related to the crops

The factors influencing the cropping pattern in India include the type of soil, weather, precipitation, technology and temperature.

Also check: Difference Between Micronutrients and Macronutrients

Key terms: Crops, Land, Patterns, Soil, Cropping, Mono cropping, Mixed cropping, Intercropping, Crop Rotation 

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What are cropping patterns?

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Cropping pattern refers to the proportion of land cultivated for various crops anywhere at a point in time. Cropping pattern is a dynamic concept that changes through time and place.

• Cropping patterns differ from one location to another. It is determined by the terrain, topography, slope, temperature, amount and frequency of rain, soils, and water availability for irrigation. 
• The perception and assessment of the environment are also essential when deciding which crop should be grown in a certain place.

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Types of Cropping Patterns

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Different kinds of cropping patterns are taken into consideration with the objective to yield the maximum number of crops. There are various kinds of cropping patterns such as mono-cropping, mixed cropping, intercropping and crop rotation.

Monocropping

The concept of monocropping implies the growth of one kind of crop in a specific period. The same crop is planted every year without resting the soil in which crops are planted. Maize, soybeans, and wheat are three typical mono-cropped crops. Monocropping is also called continuous cropping.

 Maize cropping with the use of Mono cropping 

Advantages of Monocropping

Monocropping allows farmers to save time, money, and energy by eliminating the need for further land preparation. Monocropping has the following advantages. 

• After the first growing season, little labour is necessary for this cropping method; all work is simple.
• Monocropping allows the farmer to grow only one particular crop. 
• The farmers, through the practice of monocropping, can invest their money in machinery which is particularly designed for one specific crop. 
• It also enables the farmers to purchase high-yield seeds which generate large volumes of the particular crop at the time of harvest.
• Monocropping enables farmers to earn more significant income by growing staple crops like wheat, corn, and soy. 

However, from the point of view of the environment, monocropping can prove to be very harmful.

Disadvantages of Monocropping 

Monocropping has the potential to be highly harmful to the environment. Planting monoculture crops may appear to farmers and gardeners to be a simple way to get the job done, but the negative impacts of monocropping can lead to a lot of complications later on.

• Monocropping can lead to depletion of the soil, as the specific type of crop will take away all the nutrients from the soil.
• Monocropping can cause deforestation under specific conditions. 
• The farmers are forced to use fertilizers due to the lack of nutrients in the soil which further disturbs the natural balance of the soil. 
• If the natural balance of the soil is hurt, it can lead to a variety of environmental problems including pollution. 
• Monocropping leads to a reduction in crop diversity which proves to be a great loss of biodiversity as well as makes the crop vulnerable once it is subjected to a particular pest or some disease.

Mixed cropping

The growing of two or more crops in agricultural land in a simultaneous manner is known as mixed cropping. Such crops being grown in a simultaneous manner would differ in terms of the times pertaining to maturity and the requirements related to water. 

These are the essential elements for mixed cropping.

• There should be a tall crop and a dwarf crop growing together. 
• The requirements related to nutrients should be less for one crop in comparison to the other. 
• One of the crops should bear deep roots and the other should have shallow ones. 
• It aids in the minimization of risk pertaining to the failure of one type of crop and acts as insurance against the failure of a crop as a result of unfavourable conditions in terms of climate.

Mixed cropping of wheat and maize 

Advantages of Mixed Cropping

Mixed cropping improves soil fertility and promotes the growth of soil microorganisms. It has the following advantages. 

• The method has been used successfully to enhance small farmer profit and food production while lowering the risk of total crop failure since even if one crop fails, others in the field may still yield.
• Mixed cropping also needs fewer nutrient inputs, such as fertiliser, pruning, pest management, and irrigation, and is thus usually more cost-effective.
• Mixed cropping has been proven to create a diversified environment for animals and beneficial insect species such as butterflies and bees by improving habitat and species richness.

Disadvantages of Mixed Cropping

In mixed cropping, two too many distinct plant species or cultivars are grown together. Because of the complex relationships between the various plants, the farmer may encounter a number of issues. Following are some of the disadvantages of mixed cropping.

• It becomes very difficult for the farmers to apply fertilizers to crops individually.
• It is nearly impossible for the farmers to thresh and harvest crops separately.
• If the incorrect combinations are used, soil nutrients may be drained far more quickly.
• It is difficult to use mechanised farming since the entire region is cultivated.
• Some crops may be severe competitors for water, sunshine, and space resources. 
• Some insect pests may spread more broadly because they constantly have food available to them.

Intercropping

Intercropping is a multi-cropping method that involves cultivating two or more crops close together. The most common purpose of intercropping is to increase production on a given area of land by utilising resources or natural processes that a single crop would not use.

Types of intercropping

1. Row intercropping-  It is the arrangement of component crops in alternating rows. It paves the way for optimization in terms of usage of the space of land and the weeds to be suppressed at the initial phases of the primary crop. 
2. Strip intercropping- The growing of two or more crops in wide strips in order to be managed separately is known as strip intercropping. However, such crops are so close that they can interact. The method is identical to row cropping, but the areas of land are large enough to allow for machine actions and independent cultivation. 
3. Relay Intercropping- After one crop has matured, farmers who use this strategy plant one or two more varieties on the same plot of ground at various times. Although relay intercropping eliminates temporal overlap in harvesting distinct species, the second crop must be shade tolerant of the first. Cotton and corn, as well as chickpeas and upland rice, are examples of relay cropping systems.
4. Alley cropping- The alley cropping method involves planting crops between trees, shrubs, or hedges to form lanes. Alley cropping has the following characteristics. With their strong root systems, higher plants shield lower plants from winds and provide shade from additional sunshine, as well as prevent soil erosion.

Row cropping pattern 

Advantages of Intercropping

Intercropping has major advantages over monoculture farming in terms of increasing yields and making better use of land and resources. The following are the most basic advantages of intercropping:

• Reduces insect/mite pest populations due to crop diversification. 
• Plant diseases are reduced. Because other crops (from a different family group) are planted in between, the space between plants of the same species grows.
• Reduces slope erosion and topsoil protection, particularly with contour strip cropping.
• More helpful insects are attracted, especially when blooming crops are included in the cropping system.
• Reduces the expense of weed control labour. A combination of crops frequently provides better soil covering, leaving less room for weed growth.

Read More: Nutrient Management

Disadvantages of Intercropping

Although, intercropping is very beneficial to agriculture. It still has some drawbacks. Some of the disadvantages of intercropping are.

• The process of intercropping is expensive and complex.
• If one crop goes bad, all the crops will go bad which can lead to a significant loss for the farmer.
• Yield declines when crops' competitive abilities differ.
• Improved techniques cannot be used effectively.
• Higher amounts of fertiliser or irrigation water cannot be used effectively since the response of the intercropped to these resources varies.
• Harvesting is a challenging task.

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Crop Rotation

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The growing of various kinds of crops on a particular land successively as planned in advance is known as the pattern of crop rotation. The crops are categorized as rotation for one year, two years and three years, taking account of their duration accordingly. In order to ensure the extension of the fertility of the soil, the program of crop rotation involves legumes. The crops whose requirement is high in terms of the level of fertility are generally grown after legumes. The crops whose requirement is low in terms of inputs are mainly grown after those whose requirement is high in terms of inputs. 

Planning a Crop Rotation 

When planning a crop rotation, there are various elements that must be considered. Planning a successful rotation necessitates taking into account both fixed and changeable production factors, such as market, farm size, labour supply, climate, soil type, growth methods, and so on. 

Furthermore, crop rotation must examine how one crop will leave the land for the subsequent crop and as well as how one crop might be seeded with another crop.

Read Also: Cattle Farming

Advantages of Crop Rotation

Each agricultural farm, just like every individual agricultural plot, has distinct characteristics. Each crop rotation is unique to that agricultural production system and is based on the capability of the land and the potential of the farmers. The following benefits from the use of crop rotation are the listed advantages of crop rotation.

• Maintenance of the fertility of the soil for a long period.
• Prevention of pests and weeds being grown.
• No requirement for many chemical fertilizers.
• No alteration in terms of the physical and chemical nature of the soil.
• Diversification and Reduced Cost of Production.

Disadvantages of Crop Rotation

Crop rotation is successful when a different crop is planted each season. As a result, the farmer is unable to focus exclusively on one type of crop. The farmer might not be able to plant a single crop on a wide scale for a while due to potential consequences on the soil.

• Crop rotation requires a lot of investment of money to purchase different seedlings of the different types of crops which are to be planted.
• The farmer will not be allowed to harvest one single crop on a large scale over a long period of time. The farmer will have to keep changing the crops.
• The farmer must have knowledge of all kinds of crops which is very challenging.
• Improper Implementation Can Cause Harm.
• The Difference in Growing conditions

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Things To Remember

• The cropping pattern is the amount of land that is available for the cultivation of various crops at different times.
• In order to produce the greatest amount of crops, several cropping patterns are taken into account.
• Monocropping refers to the cultivation of only one type of crop during a specified time period.
• Mixed cropping is the practice of jointly growing two or more crops on one agricultural plot.
• Intercropping is the practice of cultivating two or more crops together on the same agricultural land in a planned arrangement.
• Crop rotation is the practice of planting diverse crops on a specific land area in succession as planned ahead of time.

Read Also: Improvement in Food Resources

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