Multiple Cropping for Raising Productivity and Farm Income of Small Farmers

Abstract

Multiple cropping is an agriculture system long adopted by marginalized small holder farmers especially in hills and mountains. This practice was a meant to enhance farm productivity when farming area is limited. Here, in this paper, a brief review on the benefits of multiple cropping is presented focusing on the practices adopted by marginalized farmers, in general. In multiple cropping, it is generally argued that the practice favors an efficient utilization of resources like air, water, light, space, and nutrients by companion crops in both temporal and spatial dimensions due to their differential growth habits and seasonality. Multiple cropping could be one of the viable alternatives to cope uncertainties and changes, where food and nutritional uncertainty looming large. The ultimate outcome of multiple cropping could be visualized in adverse or harsh environment for increase agriculture production, livelihood and income. Various food products are obtained through multiple cropping. Land equivalent ratio (LER), relative yield total (RYT) and income equivalent ratio (IER) can be increased with mixed/intercropping systems. Multiple cropping helps in getting more than one crop simultaneously, so even if the selling price of one commodity is less, the other might compensate. In the tropics, smallholder farms, which produce over 60% of the food resources of developing nations from intercropping of cereals with many crops mostly legumes, had been the field of much investigation because of synergistic effects of diversifying food production and household cash incomes in these systems. This clearly implies the importance of multiple cropping for small farmers who constitute majority in the developing countries.

Intercropping of Coffee with Enset (<i>Enset ventricosum</i> Welw. Cheesman) at Teppi, Southwestern Ethiopia

“…The increased yield of clean coffee in the sole and staggered planting arrangement, it might be due to the increased population density of coffee trees, and the efficient utilization of the growth resources; viz., light, moisture, nutrients, etc. Similar result was observed in the previous works of Taye et al [40], Van der vossen [41], Hamdollah [42], Paudel [43], Mekonnen et al [44], Shamim and Mohammed [45]. They reported that the efficient utilization of the growth resources by the individual coffee plant could be the possible reason for the yield increment.…”

“…In the pooled mean value, the highest yield advantage (0.82) was recorded similarly from the aforementioned treatment (Table 4). The higher yield advantage of the intercrops over the sole stand might be resulted from the compatibility of the component crops for efficiently utilization of the growth resources viz., light, moisture and nutrients [43,51,[53][54][55]. In addition, the result could be associated with the different root and shoot structures of coffee and enset plants, which results different competitive ability of the component crops for growth resource utilization [21,56].…”

Brassinosteroids Regulate Antioxidant System and Protect Chloroplast Ultrastructure of Autotoxicity-Stressed Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Seedlings

“…The rapid developments in protected cultivation and intensive cropping pattern have led to an increased index of multiple cropping [1,2]. The continuous cropping results in the deterioration of soil environment, serious diseases and pests attack on vegetables, and reduction of yield and quality of vegetable crops [3,4].…”

Hydro-Agriculture Prototype: Multiple Use of Water Resource In Nepal

“…Another major use of hydropower plant is to link it with irrigation system and irrigate agriculture lands. As almost 70% land in Nepal is rain fed, production is uncertain [6]. When there is good monsoon rain there is good rice production that increases the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and vice versa when poor monsoon [7] studied in Nepal and [8] studied in Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin of India regarding the rainfall variation.…”