Abstract
Multicropping describes a diverse array of different systems that incorporate more than one crop in the field at the same time. These may be as simple as alternating strips of two crops in temperate zone fields or as complex as mixing more than a dozen crops together in fields in humid tropical zones. Highly diverse systems are commonly found on subsistence farms in lower latitudes where growing season is long and rainfall is abundant. They often require high labor input and demonstrate impressive levels of biodiversity and efficient nutrient, light, and water use with appropriate technologies. Mixed farming systems incorporate domestic animal production as integral to design of strategies to provide food and other needs for small farmers. Improved multicropping systems have unexplored potentials for increasing food production using environmentally sound methods, and these may be instrumental to improved nutrition and poverty alleviation in much of the developing world.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Crop Systems |
Publisher | Elsevier Inc. |
Pages | 29-33 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Volume | 3 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9780123948083 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780123948076 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 27 2016 |
Keywords
- Biodiverse cropping systems
- Crop/animal systems
- Farming systems
- Intercropping
- Mixed intercropping
- Multicropping
- Relay cropping