Maharashtra Board Class 11 Agriculture Science and Technology Chapter 8 Cropping System PDF Download

Cropping System

Can You Recall?

A system consists of several components which depend on each other. A system is defined as a set of elements or components that are inter related and interacting among themselves. Farming system consists of several enterprises with appropriate combination like cropping system, dairying, piggery, poultry, fishery, bee keeping etc. These enterprises are interrelated. The end products and wastes of one enterprise are used as inputs in others. The wastes of dairying like dung, urine, refuse, etc. are used for the preparation of farmyard manure which is an input in cropping systems. The straw obtained from the crops is used as fodder for cattle. Cattle are used for different field operations for growing crops. Thus different enterprises of farming systems are highly interrelated.

Remember This

Cropping system should at least satisfy the food requirements of the farmer for his family and fodder for his cattle.

Management practices are developed for individual crops and recommendations are made for accordingly. The residual effects of individual crops are not considered in crop based recommendations. In this approach, resources are not utilized efficiently. System approach is applied to agriculture for efficient utilization of all resources, maintaining stability in production and obtaining higher net returns.

Do You Know?

Management practices are developed for individual crops and recommendations are made for accordingly. The residual effects of individual crops are not considered in crop based recommendations. In this approach, resources are not utilized efficiently. System approach is applied to agriculture for efficient utilization of all resources, maintaining stability in production and obtaining higher net returns.

Think and Answer

Why is it necessary to select cropping system in agriculture business?

Let Us Do It

Farming systems represents an appropriate combination of farm enterprises viz. cropping system, livestock, poultry, fisheries, forestry and the means available to the farmer to raise them for increasing profitability. They interact adequately with environment without dislocating the ecological and socio- economic balance on one hand and attempt to meet the national goals on the other.

Enlist the different crops cultivated in the near by fields.

List the ways adopted by farmers to manage the needs of their soil, crop, animal, poultry, etc.

Teacher's Note

In your village, you can see farmers growing rice one year after year because their land is wet. This is called monoculture. In other dry areas, farmers plant two or three crops together. This helps them get more food and income.

Exam Trick

Remember: Farming is like a business. Just like a shop sells many items together to earn more money, a farm grows many crops together to get more profit and food.

Points to Remember

A farming system has many parts that work together - crops, animals, and water.

Different farm enterprises use each other's waste as input, just like a cycle.

Straw from crops feeds cattle, and cow dung helps make the fields rich with nutrients.

The cropping system must give food for the family and fodder for animals.

8.1 Meaning

Cropping system may be defined as the order in which the crops are cultivated on a piece of land over fixed period. The cropping system is the crop production activity of the farm or holding. It comprises all cropping patterns adopted on the farm or holding and their interactions with farm resources, other household enterprises and the physical, biological, technological and socio-economic factors or environment.

Remember This

Cropping system is a land use unit comprising soils, crop, weed, pathogen and insect subsystems that transform solar energy, water, nutrients, labour and other inputs into food feed, fuel and fibre.

Cropping system is an important component of a farming system. It represents cropping patterns used on a farm and their interaction with farm resources.

Teacher's Note

In your area, you see rice fields in monsoon and wheat fields in winter. This is the cropping pattern of your village. The farmer plans which crop to grow when. This planning is the cropping system.

Exam Trick

Remember: Cropping system = Which crops to grow, When to grow them, and How to grow them together.

Points to Remember

Cropping system is the plan of growing different crops on one piece of land.

It includes all crops, plants, water, soil and workers used in farming.

It is based on climate, soil type, water, and money available to the farmer.

Can You Recall?

The way in which the cropping system in a particular field or farm or operational holding or locality is practiced in an agricultural crop year (July-June) is said to be the cropping pattern at that site. Cropping pattern means the proportion of area under various crops at the yearly sequence and spatial arrangement of crops on a given land area. The system of utilizing the land resources by the cropping pattern is said to be the system cropping.

Do You Think

Efficient cropping system for a particular farm depends on farm resources, farm enterprises and farm technology. The farm resources include land, labour, water, capital and infrastructure. When land is limited, intensive cropping is adopted so as to fully utilize available water and labour. When sufficient and cheap labour is available, vegetable crops are also included. Crops like sugarcane, banana, etc. should be included in the cropping system when capital is not a constraint.

Do You Observe

In low rainfall regions monocropping is followed and when rainfall is more than 750 mm, intercropping is practiced. Farm enterprises like dairying, poultry, etc. also influence the type of cropping system. If the enterprise is dairying then fodder crops should be included in cropping system. Change in cropping system takes place with the development of technology. The cropping system should provide enough food for the family, fodder for cattle and generate sufficient cash income, for domestic and cultivation expenses.

Teacher's Note

If a farmer has a cow, he must grow grass and other fodder crops. If he has a small farm, he grows many crops in one year to earn more money and get more food for his family.

Exam Trick

Remember: Resources = Land, Labour, Water, Money. Each resource changes the choice of crops. Less water means grow bajra. More money means grow sugarcane.

Points to Remember

Cropping system changes based on rainfall, temperature, soil, and money available.

When land is small, grow many crops in one year to earn more.

If you have a dairy farm, always include fodder crops in your cropping system.

The system must feed the family and earn money for farm needs.

8.2 Study of Different Cropping Systems

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

Monoculture

Multiple cropping

Intercopping

Mixed cropping

Strip cropping

Sequence cropping

Relay cropping

Multistoried cropping

Catch cropping

Think and Answer

Why some fields have single crops while other have mixture of crops.

8.2.1 Monoculture

Monoculture or mono cropping refers to growing of only one crop on the same piece of land year after year.

It may be due to climatological and socioeconomic conditions or due to specialization of a farmer. Under rainfed conditions, crops like paddy, groundnut or cotton or sorghum are grown year after year due to limitations of rainfall. Monoculture of bajra is practiced in certain district of Rajasthan because the rainfall is uncertain and no irrigation water is available.

In southern states and Konkan region of Maharashtra, rice is widely cultivated under the monoculture system because

Rice forms the main commodity of their daily diet.

Most of the area is low lying and high rainfall with some amount of waterlogging, which makes the land unfit for other crops.

The land holdings are smaller and scattered which do not allow to grow more crops.

It is noticed that under rice monoculture system, there is a rapid deterioration of organic matter and soil structure. Flooding and draining increases the decomposition process in the soil.

Teacher's Note

In Kerala, all farmers grow rice year after year because the land is wet and rain is plenty. This is good for rice but bad for the soil. The soil loses its richness over many years.

Exam Trick

Remember: Monoculture = One crop, One land, Every year. Like eating the same food every day - your body gets tired. Same way, the soil gets tired and weak.

Points to Remember

Monoculture means growing one crop on the same land every year.

Farmers do this when weather and soil suit only that one crop.

This makes the soil weak and loses its nutrients over time.

It is common in areas with rain but poor soil for other crops.

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