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Everything you need to know about multiple cropping systems !
Q. 1. What do you mean by multiple cropping?
Ans. Multiple cropping refers to growing two or more crops on the same field in a year.
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It is of two types, viz.:
i. Sequential cropping and
ii. Intercropping.
Q. 2. What is sequential cropping?
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Ans. Cultivation of two or more crops in sequence (one after another) on the same field in a year is known as sequential cropping. It is of three types, viz. double cropping, triple cropping and rotoon cropping.
Q. 3. What is double cropping?
Ans. Cultivation of two crops on the same field one after another in a year is called double cropping.
Q. 4. What is triple cropping?
Ans. Cultivation of three crops one after another on the same field in a year is called triple cropping.
Q. 5. What do you mean by ratoon cropping?
Ans. Cultivation of crop regrowth after harvest on the same field in a year is known as ratoon cropping. It is followed in Rice and Sorghum under irrigated conditions.
Q. 6. What is inter-cropping?
Ans. Cultivation of two or more crops together on the same field in a year is called intercropping. It is also known as associated cropping or simultaneous poly-culture.
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Q. 7. What are different types of inter cropping?
Ans. Inter cropping is of following four types:
(i) Mixed inter cropping,
(ii) Row inter cropping.
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(iii) Strip inter cropping, and
(iv) Relay inter cropping.
Q. 8. What is mixed inter-cropping?
Ans. Raising two or more crops by mixing their seeds or without distinct row arrangement is known as mixed inter-cropping, also called mixed cropping.
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Q. 9. What is row inter-cropping?
Ans. Raising two or more crops together but in separate rows is called row inter cropping,
Q. 10. What is strip inter-cropping?
Ans. Raising two or more crops together in a field but in different distinct strips is known as strip infer cropping,
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Q. 11. What is relay inter-cropping?
Ans. Raising two or more crops in a field in a year in such a way that the second crop is planted before the harvest of first crop is called relay inter cropping. In relay inter cropping; there is some overlapping period of two crops.
Q. 12. What is cropping pattern?
Ans. Yearly sequence of crops on a farm or given land is known as cropping pattern.
Q. 13. What is cropping system?
Ans. Yearly sequence of crops on a farm and its interaction with farm resources is called cropping system.
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Q. 14. What is sole cropping?
Ans. Raising one crop alone in pure stand is known as sole cropping; also called solid planting.
Q. 15. What is monoculture?
Ans. Repetitive growing of the same sole crop on the same field in a year is called monoculture.
Q. 16. What is mixed farming?
Ans. Growing crops in combination with animals such as dairy, poultry, piggery etc. is known as mixed farming.
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Q. 17. What is cropping index?
Ans. Number of crops grown on the same field in a year multiplied by hundred is called cropping index.
Q. 18. What is allelopathy?
Ans. Suppression of plant growth of one species by another species due to liberation of biologically active substance from the root or shoot is called allelopathy.
Q. 19. What are allelochemicals?
Ans. Chemical substances which are liberated in allelopathy and inhibit the growth of another species growing together are known as allelochemicals.
Q. 20. What is main objective of crop improvement in multiple cropping?
Ans. The main objective of crop improvement for multiple cropping systems is to increase the total yield of the system over monocultures.
Q. 21. What are criteria which should be kept in mind while selecting crop species for multiple cropping system?
Ans. Following points should be given due importance white selecting crop species for multiple cropping system:
(i) Both crops should not have similar rooting pattern. If one is shallow rooted, the other should be deep rooted so that both can absorb nutrients from different layers of soil.
(ii) Pulse crop should be included as one of the components.
(iii) Selected species should not have allelopathy.
(iv) There should be difference in the height of two species.
(v) Selected crops should not have common diseases and insects.
Q. 22. What are desirable plant traits for multiple cropping?
Ans. The following plant traits are desirable for multiple cropping:
(i) Earliness: It permits inclusion of another crop in the system.
(ii) Uniform ripening because it permits harvest of crop in one picking in green-gram, black-gram, maize, cotton etc.
(iii) Photo insensitivity: It permits sowing of crop at any date.
(iv) Rapid seedling growth: It helps in competition with weeds.
(v) Crops included in multiple cropping system should differ in root length.
(vi) Semi-dwarf genotypes with erect status are desirable in many multiple cropping systems.
(vii) Resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
(viii) Wider adaptability etc.
Q. 23. What are sources of desirable traits for multiple cropping systems?
Ans. Following are important sources of desirable traits for multiple cropping systems:
(i) Cultivated varieties,
(ii) Germplasm collections,
(iii) Wild species of cultivated plants.
Q. 24. In which crops erect genotypes give higher yield at closer spacing than spreading types?
Ans. In some pulse crops such as green gram, black gram, soybean and cowpea, erect genotypes give higher yield than spreading types at closer spacings.
Q. 25. What types of Sorghum and cereal cultivars are expected to give better yield at higher plant densities?
Ans. In sorghum and cereals, cultivars with low tillering capacity are expected to give higher yields at higher plant densities.
Q. 26. What type of maize cultivars are expected to give higher yield at low plant densities?
Ans. In maize, cultivars with prolific bearing capacity are expected to give higher yields at low plant densities.
Q. 27. In which crops, cultivars with high tillering capacity are expected to perform better at low plant densities?
Ans. In sorghum, sugarcane, wheat, rice, barley and triticale, cultivars with high tillering capacity are expected to perform better at low plant densities.
Q. 28. What is the significance of earliness in multiple cropping system?
Ans. In multiple cropping system, earliness permits more than one planting of the same species or addition of another crop species in the crop rotation.
Q. 29. What is significance of uniform ripening of a cultivar?
Ans. Uniform ripening is a desirable character which permits harvest of the crop at one time.
Q. 30. What is significance of rapid seedling growth?
Ans. Rapid growth of seedlings leads to partial suppression of weed growth due to high competitive ability.
Q. 31. Which of the four types of inter-cropping is widely used?
Ans. Among four types of inter-cropping, row inter-cropping is the most popular.
Q. 32. What points should be kept in mind for selection of crop for sequential cropping?
Ans. Following points should be kept in mind in selecting crops for sequential cropping:
(i) Both grain and fodder legumes should find a place in the rotation.
(ii) Both crops should not have common diseases and insects.
(iii) Both crops should differ in root length so that they can absorb nutrients from different layers. It will help in maintaining soil fertility.
Q. 33. What are advantages of multiple cropping?
Ans. Main advantages of multiple cropping are given below:
(i) It provides diversity of diets by planting different food crops together or in sequence.
(ii) It provides employment to rural labourers throughout the year.
(iii) It leads to stability of production.
(iv) It permits best possible use of land resources.
(v) Inter cropping and mixed cropping act as barriers in the spread of diseases and insects.
(vi) It reduces the risk of crop failure.
Q. 34. What are factors determining cropping systems?
Ans. Cropping systems are determined by following factors:
(i) Crop adaptation,
(ii) Market demand,
(iii) Socio-economic conditions,
(iv) Preference of diet,
(v) Taste etc.
Q. 35. What types of cultivars were in use in traditional cropping systems?
Ans. In traditional cropping systems, primitive cultivars or land races were being used.
Q. 36. What are main features of land races?
Ans. Main features of land races are given below:
(i) They are low yielding than improved cultivars.
(ii) They possess high genetic diversity.
(iii) They have high competitive ability with weeds.
(iv) They have broad genetic base and wide adaptability.
(v) They have high degree of resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
Q. 37. What are main demerits of land races?
Ans. Main demerits of land races are given below:
(i) They are low yielding.
(ii) The produce of land races is less uniform and less attractive.
(iii) Land races are generally late maturing.
Q. 38. What are breeding methods used for development of suitable genotypes for multiple cropping systems?
Ans. The following breeding methods are used for developing suitable genotypes for multiple cropping system:
(i) Plant introduction.
(ii) Selection (pure line, mass selection, progeny selection depending upon mode of pollination of the crop.)
(iii) Hybridization (Pedigree, bulk & backcross methods)
(iv) Heterosis, composite and synthetic breeding in cross pollinated species.
(v) Mutation breeding in self pollinated and asexually propagated species.
Q. 39. What is the cropping index of multiple cropping?
Ans. The cropping index of multiple cropping system is always 200% or more.
Q. 40. What is example of ratoon cropping?
Ans. Rice-Rice regrowth is an example of ratoon cropping.
Q. 41. In which crops ratoon cropping is used?
Ans. Ratoon cropping is used in Rice and Sorghum under irrigated conditions.
Q. 42. Give an example of double sequential cropping.
Ans. Cotton-Wheat is an example of double sequential cropping.
Q. 43. Cite an example of sequential triple cropping.
Ans. Mung-Maize-Wheat is an example of triple sequential cropping.
Q. 44. Give an example of mixed inter-cropping.
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Ans. Wheat + Mustard are an example of mixed inter-cropping.
Q. 45. Give an example of monoculture.
Ans. Rice-Rice-Rice is an example of monoculture.
Q. 46. Give an example of mixed farming.
Ans. Farms crops + dairy are example of mixed farming.
Q. 47. In which area Rice-Wheat-Green-gram sequence is popular?
Ans. The Rice-Wheat-Green-gram sequence is popular in North- West India.
Q. 48. In which area Rice-Wheat-Jute sequence is popular?
Ans. The Rice-Wheat-Jute sequence is popular in Assam and West Bengal.
Q. 49. In which region Pigeon-pea + black-gram (1:1) row inter cropping is popular?
Ans. The Pigeon-pea + black-gram (1:1) row inter-cropping is popular in Varanasi region.
Q. 50. Why late maturing cotton varieties are preferred in Cotton + Groundnut intercropping?
Ans. In Cotton + Groundnut inter-cropping, late maturing cotton cultivars are preferred over early maturing cultivars, because late cultivars produce most of the cotton after the harvest of groundnut.
Q. 51. What type of bean cultivar gives higher yield in Maize-Bean intercropping with simultaneous sowing?
Ans. In Maize-Bean inter-cropping with simultaneous sowing, a climber cultivar of bean gives higher yield than a bushy type cultivar.
