Mixed Cropping

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Mixed cropping is growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land. It is also known as multiple cropping. This type of cropping leads to an improvement in the fertility of the soil and hence, increase in crop yield because when the two crops are properly chosen the products and refuse from one crop plant help in the growth of the other crop plant and vice-versa. Mixed cropping is an insurance against crop failure due to abnormal weather conditions.

Some successful mixed cropping practices are:

Soyabean + Pigeon pea

Maize + udad dal (Black gram)

Pigeon pea + Mung dal (Green gram)

Groundnut + Sunflower

Sorghum + Pigeon pea

Wheat + Chickpea

Barley + Chickpea

Wheat + Mustard

Cotton + Groundnut

Mixed cropping has proved successful because of the right selection of crops.

Criteria For Selection of Crops

Agriculturists and farmers select component crops for mixed cropping based on the following criteria:

Duration of Crops

One crop is of long duration and the other is of short duration.

Growth Habit

The two-component crops grow to different heights with different canopy.

Root Pattern

One crop component is deep rooted whereas the other is shallow rooted.

Water Need

One crop component requires comparatively lesser water than the other.

Nutrients Demand

One crop component requires more nutrients and the other requires lesser nutrients.

Mixed cropping is done to reduce the competition between component crops for light, nutrients and water. If one crop fails due to shortage of moisture or insufficient availability of nutrients, the other crop can cover the risk of complete failure.

Advantages of Mixed Cropping

No Risk of Crop Failure

The risk of total crop failure due to uncertain monsoon is reduced if two crops of different nature are grown simultaneously as a mixed crop.

Variety of Produce

A variety of produce could be obtained from a single crop to meet the varying requirements of the family like cereals, pulses, vegetables etc.

Increase in Yield

Component crops have a complimentary effect on one another. For example, legume crops have a beneficial effect on cereal or non-legume crops as they help in fixing nitrogen in the soil. There is higher yield by this method.

Improvement in Soil Fertility

The growth of cereal crops depletes the soil of nutrients. Growing legumes will help increase the nitrogen content in the soil. Thus, by the right choice of component crops soil fertility is improved.

Minimizing Pest Damage

Crops of a particular species are more prone to a particular type of pest (weed, insects, diseases) infestation. When different types of crops are grown together chances of pest infestations are reduced or diluted.

Due to increasing needs and reducing available land resources, there is a need for increasing productivity per unit area and time. In this context, traditional mixed cropping has been retailored and the system of inter-cropping has been introduced. Intercropping is a specialized type of mixed farming wherein two or more crops are grown simultaneously in the same field in definite rows. They are grown in ratios 1:1, 1:2, 1:3.

Comparison Between Mixed Cropping and Intercropping

The above table gives a comparison between mixed cropping and inter-cropping.

Another type of mixed cropping is border cropping.

Here plants of a different species are planted along the border of the field. Example castor plant around a vegetable field. Another type of mixed cropping is the use of strips of a different species at intervals within the crop.