CROP PRODUCTION

F. ORGANIC FARMING

 

-This involves farming without use of Agro Chemicals i.e. crops grown in a natural environment.

-This method of farming is environment friendly and products do not have any inorganic residue.

-Naturally occurring materials e.g. medicinal plants are used instead of chemicals.

-Organic manure is used to replenish soil nutrients.

-Soil structure is improved and soil water infiltration as well as aeration is enhanced.

-These farming also provide food for soil microbes which help in releasing minerals for crop nutrition.

-Mulching can also be done using organic material.

-Crop rotation is also used to enhance organic farming.

Advantages

a) It is cheap and cost effective

b) Makes use of locally available materials

c) Helps soil structure.

d) No environmental pollution

e) Enhances H20 retention by the soil

 

Disadvantages

a) Low overall output.

b) Control of pests and disease is not easy. Since there is no use of Agrochemical.

c) It is laborious

G. EXTENSIVE FARMING SYSTEM

-Is a system that requires large tracts of land, low capital investment and low labour per unit area

-It is characterized by low yield per unit area.

H. INTENSIVE SYSTEM

-It is a system that requires high capital and high labour investment per unit area

-It is characterized by high yield per unit area

-It is both extensive and intensive and can be large scale or small scale.

i. Large Scale

- Involves use of large tracts of land

-Requires heavy capital investment

-Skilled labour

-High level management

-Mostly carried out for commercial purposes

-Operation costs per unit of production are low because it makes use economy of scale.

ii. Small Scale

- Practiced in a small piece of land

-Productivity depends on land potentiality

-Production can be on subsistence or commercial scale

-Surplus can be sold for cash benefit

-No heavy capital investment

 

I. CROP ROTATION

-This is the growing of different crops on the same field in an ordered sequence.

-In this practice the field is demarcated into a number of units, the main objective being to make maximum use of the soil by growing a variety of crops with different growth habits and nutrient requirement.

Guidelines to crop rotation

1. Crops with high nutrients requirement should come first in a newly cultivated land.

2. Deep rooted crops should alternate with shallow rooted crops.

3. A grass break should be incorporated in the rotation in order to rebuild soil structure.

4. Crops which are easy to weed should alternate with crops which are not so easy to weed.

5. Crops having similar pests and diseases should not succeed one another during rotation.

Advantages

-There is maximum use of soil resources by growing plant with different growth habits.

-There is efficient control of pests by breaking the life cycle of the pests.

-Efficient disease control i.e. life cycle of disease organism is interrupted.

-Parasitic weeds such as striga species which are specific to cereals can be controlled by planting non cereal crops for a period of time.

-Nitrogen content of the soil may be enhanced by including a legume in the rotation