Cropping system refers to the crops and crop sequences and management techniques used on a field over years. It includes terms like farming system, multiple cropping, cropping index, intercropping, and sole cropping. The principles of an effective cropping system are to choose crops that complement each other, utilize resources efficiently, maintain soil fertility, have diverse growth cycles and species, keep soil covered, plan and modify as needed, and monitor progress.

1. Cropping system: Definition,
Principles and basic concepts

2. • Cropping pattern is the yearly sequence and
spatial arrangement of crops and fallow on a
given area
• Cropping system refers to the crops and crop
sequences and the management techniques
used on a particular field over a period of
years.
• Definition: Cropping pattern used on a farm
and their interaction with farm resources
other farm enterprises and available
technology that determines their makeup.

3. Terms
• Farming system
Farming systems represent an appropriate combination of
farm enterprises, viz. cropping systems, livestock, fisheries,
forestry, poultry, and the means available to the farmer to
raise them for profitability. It interacts adequately with the
environment without dislocating the ecological and socio-
economic balance on one hand, and attempts to meet the
national goals on the other.
• Multiple cropping
The intensification of cropping in temporal and spatial
dimensions: growing two or more crops on the same field in
one year.
• Cropping Index/ cropping Intensity
The number of crops grown per annum on a given area of
land multiplied by 100.

4. • Agroforestry
It is a collective name for land use systems in which woody
perennials (trees, shrubs etc.) are grown in association with
herbaceous plants (crops, pastures) and/or livestock in a spatial
arrangement, a rotation or both, and in which there are both
ecological and economic interactions between the tree and non-
tree components of the system.
Alley cropping
It is an agroforestry system in which food crops are grown in
alleys formed by hedgerows of trees and shrubs, preferably,
legumes. The hedgerows are periodically pruned during
cropping to prevent shading and to reduce competition with the
associated food crops. The hedgerows are allowed to grow freely
to cover the land when there are no crops.
When this concept is extended to include livestock by using
a portion of the hedgerow foliage for animal feed, it is called
alley farming.

6. • Intercropping
Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field; crop
intensification is in both temporal and spatial dimensions; there is
intercrop competition during all or part of crop growth.
i. Mixed intercropping
Growing two or more crops simultaneously with no distinct row
arrangement. Also referred as mixed cropping.
ii. Row intercropping
Growing two or more crops simultaneously with a definite row
pattern often referred as intercropping.
iii. Strip intercropping
Growing two or more crops simultaneously in different strips
wide enough to permit independent cultivation but narrow enough
for the crops to interact agronomically.
iv. Relay cropping
Growing two or more crops simultaneously during the part of
the life cycle of each. Second crop is planted after the first crop has
reached its reproductive stage of growth but before it is ready for
harvest.

8. • Sequential cropping
Growing two or more crops in sequence on the same
field in an year: the succeeding crop is planted after
the preceding crop has been harvested; crop
intensification is only in the time dimension; there is
no intercrop competition.
Double, Triple and Quadruple cropping
Growing two, three and four crops, respectively,
on the same land in a year in sequence.
Ratoon cropping
The cultivation of crop regrowth after harvest,
although not necessarily for grain.

9. • Sole cropping
One crop variety grown alone in pure stand at normal
density.
• Monoculure
The repetitive growing of the same crop on the same
land.
• Crop rotation
The repetitive cultivation of an ordered succession of
different crops on the same land.
Component crops: refers to individual crop species that are a
part of the multiple cropping system
Main crop or (base crop): is the one which is planted at its
optimum sole crop population in an intercropping situation and
the second crop is planted in between rows of the main or
(base) crop with a view to obtain some additional intercrop yield
without sacrificing the main or (base) crop yield.

10. PRINCIPLES:
Choose crops that compliments each other.
i.e. N demanding crops (Sorghum) following N fixing legume crops
Choose crops and cropping rotation which utilize resources
efficiently.
i.e. Design a crop rotation to best utilize the available resources
(Water, Solar Radiation, Growing season, Farm labour, Equipment,
Animal draft power, Mechanization etc.,)
Choose crops and cropping system to maintain and enhance soil
fertility.
i.e. Maintenance of nutrients i.e. N and Carbon i.e. Organic matter
Rotate crops with 30 to 50% of N fixing crops (Legumes)
Choose crops having diversity of growth cycles.
i.e. Choose different crops with different growth duration

11. Choose a diverse crop species in rotation.
i.e. Same crop should not be rotated sequentially
Keep the soil covered.
i.e. To maximize solar radiation capture and minimize
risks of soil erosion
Plan and modify cropping system as it needed.
i.e. Optimum crop rotation is done by effective
planning
Monitor the progress.
i.e. Make a plan and keep records