Cropping is the practice of selecting plants for cultivation in a field or orchard based on their desired characteristics and removing the entire plant from the ground at least once during its growth cycle. This is done to improve yield, quality, or other agricultural considerations. Cropping may be done by hand, with an agricultural tool such as a hoe, or with an agricultural machine.
Meaning of cropping in agriculture
Cropping is the process of selecting particular plants from a larger field to be grown for their desired harvest. This can be done by hand, with a tillage tool, or with a machine. Cropping decisions are based on many factors including the desired yield, how much space the plant will use, and whether the plant is resistant to a particular disease or pests.
Definition of Multiple Cropping
Multiple Cropping may be defined as the growth of more than one crop in a year from the same piece of land.
Objectives of Multiple Cropping
- To increase the cropping intensity.
- To increase land-use intensity.
- To obtain more crops from the same field in a year.
- To maximize the use of land and time.
- To increase the scope of land utilization and diversification of farming.
- To increase cash income.
- To cover the risk of low market prices and adverse climate on crops.
Advantages/Importance of Multiple Cropping
- It increases production per unit area.
- It provides a wider variety of crops.
- It increases the farmer’s net income.
- It increases the scope of land utilization and diversification of farming.
- It allows better adjustment of planting time of crops.
- It allows better utilization of labor.
- It saves foreign currency expenditure.
- It decreases the food deficit.
Disadvantages/Limitations of Multiple Cropping
- It hampers seed crop production.
- It hampers intercultural operations.
- It decreases nutrient status in soil.
- It creates problems in adapting farm mechanization.
- In some multiple cropping systems, interspecific competition occurs.