Farm Practices

Intercropping | 10 Types, Advantages and Disadvantages

Intercropping is a method of growing more than one crop in the same piece of land during the same crop season. It has many advantages, related to the complementary use of environmental resources by the component crops. This results in an increased and better nutrient recycling in the soil, stable yields, better control of pests and diseases with increased biodiversity.

Definition:

Simply inter cropping can be defined as growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same piece of land. We can observe Crop intensification in terms of both space and time dimensions under the inter-cropping system.

The major benefit of inter cropping is it increases the production per unit area compared to single cropping through the effective use of resources, nutrients including water, and solar energy. Inter-cropping is preferred over sole cropping as a result of superior yield due to the efficient utilization of available resources.

Main Crop or Base Crop:

The base crop is one which grown as a main source of income in between the main crop vacant spaces we will plant intercrop to get extra returns.

Intercrop: It is the growing of a crop in the vacant spaces of another widely grown crop that has a short duration of life cycle mainly grown for getting extra profits or to mitigate the losses during main crop failure.

Different types of intercropping systems:

1. Mixed Intercropping or Mixed Cropping: Growing of two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land with no distinct row arrangement

2. Row Intercropping:

It is a kind intercropping where different crops are grown at the same time in the same piece of land with a distinct row arrangement.

3. Patch intercropping:

In this method of intercropping, intercrops are grown in patches in the vacant spaces in the same piece of land.

4. Strip intercropping:

In this method, we will grow more than one crop in strips to allow independent cultivation in the same piece of land.

5. Relay Intercropping:

In relay intercropping intercrops were sown or planted when the main crops reach the maturity but before harvesting of the base crop.

6. Parallel Intercropping:

In this method, both selected intercrop and main crops are with different growing habits. Hence, there will zero competition for the available resources. So, both crops can express their full yield potential.

7. Multi Storied Intercropping:

In multistoried intercropping crops with different height were selected. Mostly this kind of intercropping is adopted in plantation crops.

8. Alley Intercropping:

Alley cropping is a kind of agroforestry system where intercrops are grown in the alleys of trees and hedges etc.

9. Guard Crops:

The main crop is grown in the center, where it is surrounded by hardy or thorny crops. Thus the main crop gets protection with the help of gourd crops.

Guard crops are mainly planted with a view to protecting the main crop. Guard crops are planted around the main crops in such a way to protect the main crop.

10. Trap Crops:

Traps crops like marigold and mustard etc. are intercropped in between the main crop to trap various insect pests.

11. Filler Cropping:

It a method of cropping in which newly established orchards are planted with other filler crops in the juvenile period of the main crop for efficient utilization of space and to earn some extra profits.

12. Mixed Cropping:
It is said to be mixed cropping when two or more crops are grown in the same piece of land. In mixed cropping seeds of different crops are mixed and sown or broadcasted. Mixed cropping is popular in areas prone to natural calamities like drought, frost, etc. Further, though all the crops are sown at same time, they mature at different times. Mixed cropping may cause problems in harvesting and carry out in intercultural operations.

Rules to be followed in the selection of the inter cropping crops

Caution should be ensured while selecting crops with different growth habits, duration, root growth, taxonomical families, etc.

Grow tall-growing crops along with bushy crops.
Select shallow-rooted crops as inter crop in the deep-rooted crop.
Long duration crops should be intercropped with short duration crops.
Grow slow-growing crops in vacant spaces of fast-growing crops.
Selected main crops and inter crops should show a very negligible allelopathic effect.
Need to intercrop non-legumes with intercrops.
Crops selected should be of different families to avoid various pests and diseases

Advantages of intercropping:

Better utilization growth resources like nutrients, light, and moisture.
Mitigate losses where the failure of any one of the component crops occurs.
A farmer can get extra yield from the unit area.
Better utilization of space available with the time dimensions.
We can achieve better weed control by growing intercrops.
Minimizes the chances of soil crust formation.
Mitigate losses where the failure of any one of the component crops occurs.
Inter crops will also soil fertility.
Controls soil erosion.
To some extent, control the pests and diseases of the main crop.
Ecological stability.
Cultivation practices for the major crop will also supplement the requirement of companion crops.
It provides shading and physical support to some crops.
It provides extra income to the farmers.
It provides daily needs for the farmers.
Intercropping will also generate extra employment for agrarian people .

Disadvantages of intercropping:

Sometimes inter crops work as alternate hosts for various pests and diseases.
Differential maturity and sometimes harvesting may become a problem.
It becomes difficult to control various pests and diseases.
Inter cropping is a labor-intensive practice.
Allelopathic effect.
Possibility of problems in carrying out intercultural operations.
Difficulty in mechanization.
There might arise a competition among the component crops.

What is urban farming? why is it important

irrigationUrban farming is a practice in the city or urban agriculture that deals with growing crops like fruits, vegetables, cereals, pulses, etc., and raring domestic animals like poultry, duckery, piggery, etc., to ensure access to adequate food and nutrition within the city limits. City farming has many forms and structures depending on the space used for food production like the kitchen garden, terrace garden, balcony garden, rooftop garden, container garden or vertical farming. Urban farming is the most viable solution for producing food in cities, using freely available natural resources like organic waste and wastewater, and it is also an economical solution to recycle badly placed organic waste, which is otherwise a nuisance to the city.

Urban farming can be a viable solution to grow food for the people and fodder for the animals in and around city areas on small scales to feed the urban poor in addition to producing food for their own consumption. Urban farmers can grow market-surplus food like fruits and vegetables, mushrooms, poultry, and piggeries to their communities. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s food is produced in urban areas in the form of fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals, pulses, fishery, poultry, mushrooms, etc.

Rapid urbanization is taking place, and it grows with urban poverty and food insecurity in urban pockets. It is estimated that by the year 2020, the food prices all over the world are soaring owing to the removal of both subsidies and price control that has eliminated access to adequate food by the poor people.

Urban farming is different from rural farming in that it is integrated, embedded, and interacting with the urban socioeconomic and ecological system. Such linkages include viable use of human and natural resources like unemployed youth as a working force, organic solid waste as manure and waste, and wastewater for irrigation. The city farming practices become integrated with part of urban consumption, urban ecology, and the urban food supply system.

Why urban farming matters:

It emerged as the frontier of a burgeoning trend in local food and community resiliency. Vegetables from the city are finding their way into food carts, menus.

The urban farming trend is not being ignored by local governments, as many municipalities are starting to incorporate policy for more local food systems into their planning processes. Support for initiatives associated with food systems is showing up in Official Community Plans, Agriculture Plans, park and neighborhood designs, and food strategies. At the same time, with this rapidly growing interest, many local governments are struggling with how this fits into their land-use policies, regulatory systems, and scope of operations, especially in the context of land being repurposed for growing food. Urban farmers are also looking for ways to eliminate barriers to the practice of farming in the city. The emerging need and opportunity around urban farming are to integrate these activities in a safe and beneficial way.

Importance of urban farming:

Nutritional importance:

The contribution to food security and healthy nutrition is the most important aspect of city farming. In many cases, food production in cities is a response of the urban poor with inadequate and irregular access to food and lack of purchasing power. Growing our own food saves household expenditure on food, and poor people in poor countries generally spend more income on food requirements. Thus, city farming activities can empower urban poor in producing their own food, fruits, and vegetables and safeguard their critical food security in critical times. A global estimate indicates that 15 percent of the world’s food is produced in urban areas.

Clean and green environment:

City farming is part of the urban ecosystem that plays an important role in the management of the urban environmental system. Fast growing cities of the world produce, on a daily basis, more organic solid waste and wastewater than stabilized urban areas and most of them face problems of their disposal which is a costly affair. City farming can effectively help solve such problems by turning urban waste into productive manures. Quality-compost is an important input that can fetch good prices in the local market. The use of compost can prevent or reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and help prevent contamination of groundwater. In addition to this, initiatives in making city compost and vermicompost can effectively convert city-borne solid waste into environment-friendly manures and fertilizers thereby keeping the city environment clean and green. City farmers can use wastewater for irrigating their kitchen gardens without depending on potable drinking water available for family consumption. The fresh wastewater contains many nutrients and organic impurities that can serve as nutrients for crop growth. However, without proper guidance and treatment of wastewater, the use of wastewater can lead to health and environment-related problems like transportation and translocation of heavy metals in the human and animal biosystem. Modern farming technologies such as hydroponics, drip irrigation, and zero-tillage farming substantively reduce water needs and health risks involved in this process. In many cases, partial treatment of wastewater can be sufficient for agricultural reuse. City farming certainly has a positive impact on cleaning and greening of the city by turning open spaces into green zones with a favorable impact on the micro-climate free from pollution.

Employment generation:

Besides economic benefits to city farmers, city farming activities stimulate the development of related microenterprises, such as the production of necessary inputs like poly bags, earthen, cement and plastic pots and containers, fabrication of hand tools and implements, production of vermicompost manure, botanical and organic pesticides, bio-fertilizers and packaging materials and a network chain of transport and marketing. City farming generates an important strategy for poverty alleviation and employment generation, particularly for womenfolk who cannot leave home for earning their livelihood owing to various responsibilities, including raring of children and guarding the house.

Future of city farming:

The future of city farming in densely populated countries and fast growing cities is no doubt very bright and promising to owe to the fact that 50 percent of the world’s population lives in cities, 800 million of whom are involved in city farming around the world contributing to feeding the urban residents. Low-income urban groups spend more than 60 percent of their income on food, and by the year 2015 about 26 cities in the world are expected to have a population of more than 10 million each. To feed a city like this size, we require at least 6,000 tons of food every day; out of this, a good proportion of food has to be imported from outside the city or at least 20 percent of it should be supplemented by growing food in city farming, using natural resources like organic waste, wastewater and wasted women power available in the cities.

How to Grow Aloe Vera | In Farms and Indoors

Aloe is fleshy perennial, a shallow-rooted crop with 30 – 60 cm high. Nowadays the demand for aloe vera is increasing day by day owing to its medicinal properties. It is cultivated around the world. There are around 275 species of aloe vera. Of those only few are recommended for cultivation. Long thick, fleshy leaves with spines at margins are the commercial product of Aloe Vera.

Verities:

IC111271

IC111269

IC111280

IC111273

AL – 1

Soil:

Sandy loam to slightly alkaline soils is recommended for aloe vera cultivation. We can find aloe vera in barren lands. So, aloe vera cultivation is possible in a wide range of soils. Aloe vera grows well in marginal and low fertile soils. It does well under soil P. H 8.5. However, avoid soils with poor water drainage and tend to waterlog for aloe vera cultivation.

Climate:

The water requirement of aloe vera is low compared to the other crops. So, it can be grown in arid parts of the world. It can tolerate drought conditions. Temperate regions of the world are not suitable for aloe vera cultivation. Optimum rainfall is 35 – 40 cm to 150 – 200 cm. The temperature of 25 – 40 ̊ is suitable for aloe Vera cultivation.

Land preparation:

Plough the soil 2 – 3 times and remove the weeds and previous season crop residues. Level the land before sowing. Make drainage channels at 15 – 20 ft apart.

Propagation:

aloe vera plant cuttings — *Aloe vera plant from cuttings*

Root suckers and rhizomes are used as propagating material. Use 15 – 18 cm root suckers or rhizomes bits. Place the two-third portion inside the soil. Around 15, 000 cuttings are required to plant aloe vera in one hectare of land.

Spacing:

A spacing of 60 × 60 cm between row to row and plant to plant is followed.

Fertilization:

The application of organic manures will increase the yield. So, apply 8 – 10 tonnes of farmyard manure per hectare land. During last plowing add 35-kilo grams of nitrogen, 70 kilograms of P₂O_5, and 70 kilograms of K₂O per hectare. Apply 35 – 40 kilograms of nitrogen as top dressing. Neem cake application at a rate of 300 – 400-kilo grams per hectare will reduce the termite problem. However, these fertilizer doses will increase or decrease depending upon the soil fertility.

Irrigation:

As aloe vera can tolerate drought conditions, its water requirement is less compared to the other crops. Irrigate the crop immediately after planting. Maintain optimum soil moisture in the field until plants get established. Aloe vera requires around 4 – 6 irrigations per year. Even it is tolerant of drought highly sensitive to water stagnation. So, care should be taken to ensure proper drainage in the field. During the summer season irrigate the crop at every 20 days intervals.

Weeding:

Keep the crop free from weeds as weeds interfere with intercultural operations and reduce the yield. Practice light cultivation. The first weed removal can be done after 30 to 40 days after planting. In aloe vera, around 4 – 5 weedings along with one hoeing per year is required to reduce damages caused by weeds.

Earthing up:

Earthing up needs to be done after weeding by covering the base of the plant with soil.

Pests and diseases of aloe vera:

Pest and disease attack is very less in aloe vera cultivation. However, there is little incidence of termites and leaf spots in some parts of the world. A termite problem can be managed by applying light irrigation. Leaf spot can be controlled by spraying fungicides.

Harvesting

Aloe Vera is a perennial crop. Harvesting lasts up to 4 – 5 years after planting. Leaves can be harvested every three months. Harvest the leaves which are mature enough. First harvesting can be taken after 8 – 10 months after sowing. Commercial yield starts from the second year onwards and lasts up to 5 years. Outer most 3 -4 leaves are harvested by cutting with the help of a sharp knife at the white base. Care should be taken while cutting the leaves without causing any injuries to the leaves and plants. Because these injuries may act as entry points for the various infections. Dry the leaves in the shade properly before processing.

Yield:

On an average basis, aloe vera farmer can get 15 – 20 tonnes of fresh leaves in an area of one acre by adopting good management practices.

Conclusion:

Its cultivation is possible in low fertile and marginal soils. So, the cultivation of aloe vera in such soils provides good returns to the farmer, where he may not be able to grow other crops. In that way aloe vera cultivation is helpful for the farmers in areas prone to drought and with low fertility.

Tips to indoor cultivation of Aloe Vera:

Its cultivation is possible indoors along with field cultivation.
Fill the containers with drainage material, compost, coarse sand, and with little amount of bone meal.
Provide proper drainage holes to the growing containers as aloe is very sensitive waterlogging.
Place these growing containers where they can receive adequate sunshine for their growth and development.
Water the plants lightly at frequent intervals until they established properly.
During rainy season watering is not necessary. But in summer water the plants whenever you find soil dry.
Care should be taken while watering as overwatering may kill the plant permanently.
Clean the drainage holes regularly to ensure better drainage.
Apply organic fertilizers like compost, farmyard manure or household wastage, etc.
Once plants established, it starts producing offshoots; these can be removed and transplanted into new pots.
Remove the loose soil and supplement it with new garden soil if necessary.
We can harvest leaves after 8 – 10 months after planting. We can take one harvesting for every 3 months.
Harvesting of leaves was done by cutting outer 3 – 4 leaves without causing any injury with the help of a sharp knife near the white base.

Also see cultivation of lemon

Soil Air | Its Composition and Importance in Plant Growth

Air present in between the pore space of soil is called the soil air. This soil air helps in the growth of the aerobic organisms present in the soil. Soil air is found in between crumbs called inter-crumbs pores and pores within the crumbs called crumbs pores.

A well-aerated soil is the one in which gases are available for the growth of plants and the macro or microorganisms present in it. But soil aeration gets affected due to excess moisture present in soil and gaseous exchange.

Reasons for poor aeration

Soil moisture – when a soil receives excess amount of moisture then waterlogging condition is developed. And this condition generally occurs due to poor drainage, fine-textured soil with minimum macropores, and it also occurs in well-drained soil when there is an excess supply of water in soil. These can affect the growth of the plant and also the useful organisms present in the soil.
Gaseous exchange – the improper exchange of gases between the soil and the atmosphere can affect the soil aeration. The gaseous exchange takes place due to the diffusion process.

Composition of Soil Air

The gaseous composition of soil air is quite similar to the atmospheric air. It varies only in terms of carbon dioxide, which is high than that in the atmospheric air.

Further, the soil air compositions vary from location to location.

Name of gas	Soil air (% Vol)	Atmospheric air (% Vol)
Oxygen	20.00	21.00
Nitrogen	78.60	78.03
Carbon-dioxide	0.3	0.03
Argon	0.9	0.94

This soil air supports the life of plants and other organisms present in the soil. The aerobic organisms and roots of the plant consume oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

Characteristics of Soil Air

There are various parameters that are used for the characterizing soil aeration

Composition of the soil
The oxygen diffusion rate (ODR)
Oxidation-reduction potential, indicating the oxidized or reduced condition of the soil.

Factor Affecting the Composition of soil air

The composition of soil air is affected by a variety of factors like physical properties of the soil condition ,types of vegetation, sessions, amount of organic matter and microbial activity, depth of the soil, and temperature.

Oxygen

The amount of oxygen in the soil air is much less than that of the atmospheric air. Plant roots and different microorganisms require oxygen for their metabolism, which they take form the soil air and thereby decrease the concentration of oxygen in the soil environment.

The depth of soil also modifies the amount of oxygen in the soil, and with the increase in the depth, the availability of oxygen decreases. The composition of soil air is also affected by seasonal variations. In the dry season or summer season the quantity of oxygen is usually higher than that of the rainy season. The cultural and other soil management practices affect the composition of the soil air by modifying the physical properties of soil like bulk density, porosity, etc.,

Carbon dioxide

CO2 in the soil is released due to the decomposition of organic matter. Therefore, the concentration of carbon dioxide is high in the soil as compared to atmosphere. The concentration of CO₂ in the soil is also affected due to the temperature and seasonal changes. However, during the summer season the activity of soil microorganisms is high and thereby the production of CO_2.

Thus, the composition of soil air is dependent on the biochemical reactions, the availability of air space, gaseous interchange.

Water vapor

The content of water vapor is much more in the soil as compared to the atmospheric air. The capillary water in the soil saturates the soil air with water vapor. If the soil moisture falls below the hygroscopic coefficient, the water vapor decreases. Irrigation is necessary for the growth of crops, and so soil remains moist during the crop growth period.

Importance of soil air

Soil airplay a very vital role in modifying the soil’s physical,chemical, and biological environment, which influences the plant growth and also the yield.

The importance of soil air-

Growth and development of plant and its parts – the growth of plants are fully dependent on the soil and its physical, chemical, and biological properties. Poorly aerated soil can harm the plant and its root development. Water and nutrient absorption will be affected due to poor development of root.
Microbial population and activity- soil aeration influences the activity of soil microorganisms and also affects the rate of decomposition of organic matter. The poorly aerated soil decreases the microbial as well as oxidation of organic matter. This decrease may be due to lack of oxygen and presence of more carbon dioxide. The biological process carried by different microorganisms such as decomposition of organic matter, biological nitrogen fixation is largely dependent on the availability of soil air. The microorganism’s population is affected by soil aeration.
Production of toxic substance – production of toxic substance occurs due to incomplete decomposition of organic matter or due to poor aeration, excess amount of soil moisture(rainfall, excessive irrigation) which leads to the production of toxic organic compounds such as lactic, butyric acid etc. this affect the plants roots and which affect their nutrient absorption process.
Absorption of water and nutrients – The soil aeration also affects the uptake of nutrients by plants. The nutrient availability varies in the soil in response to the aeration which changes the metabolic status of the plants. There is a deficiency of micronutrients like Cu and Zn under poor aeration or waterlogged conditions.

Importance of Soil Air

Aeration can improve the soil physical properties like

Texture
Density
Structure
Porosity

Aeration can improve soil biological properties

A variety of organisms inhabit the soil. They decompose organic matter, fix the atmospheric nitrogen, cause denitrification, etc.. Such activities may be beneficial for the crop and its yield.

6 Types of Irrigation Systems used in Agriculture

Irrigation is the application of sufficient water to the soil to support the crop the requirements. With the passing time, there was a development of various irrigation methods to meet the specific requirements of crop and soil.

Types of irrigation methods are

Surface irrigation method
Drip irrigation method
Sprinkler irrigation method

Surface irrigation method:

Here the water is applied to the field with the help of gravitational force. Around 85% of irrigation in the world is given by surface irrigation methods.

Drip irrigation method:

Here water is provided as small droplets to the soil at frequent intervals with the help of emitters. It reduces water losses, minimizes weed formation, and increases productivity.

Sprinkler irrigation method:

In sprinkler irrigation method water is applied over the field under pressure in the form of a spray.

Surface irrigation:

Surface irrigation is mainly used in field crops and orchards. In this methods gravity is used to supply the water from source of irrigation to the crop with the help of canals, pipes, etc. mainly the efficiency of this method of irrigation depends on type of soil and crop, etc. among all irrigation methods water losses are higher in this method so, it is said to be least efficient method of irrigation among all methods. Mainly there are 3 types in surface irrigation method

Furrow irrigation
Basin irrigation
Border irrigation

Furrow irrigation:

In this water is irrigated to the field in furrows spaced between 0.1 to 0.3 meters. It can be operated with less technical knowledge, whereas drip and sprinkler methods require technical knowledge. Furrow method also requires less capital investment. This regulation of water flow is difficult. It is suitable for crops like maize, sorghum which are sown in rows. In the fields with higher slope low infiltration rates and in fields with the lower slope, higher inflow rates are required to irrigate the field uniformly. Generally siphon tubes are used to supply the water to the furrows from the ditches.

Basin irrigation

It is one of the types of surface irrigation methods. In this a basin, which is proportionate to the size of tree is prepared. It is mostly used in orchards. After making basins all these are connected with each other and with irrigation channels. Thus, water moves from one basin to another basin by irrigating the previous basin. In this method of irrigation there might be the tendency of contamination of pests and diseases from one tree to another through irrigation water. We can also practice inter cultivation if we opt for this method of irrigation.

Border irrigation

Types of irrigation — *Border irrigation using more water for land irrigation.*

It is an old method of irrigation. In this method field is divided into the blocks, and borders are made with the help of earth. In this method, water flows between dikes that divides the sloping field into rectangular strips with free drainage at an end. The purpose of the dikes is mainly to contain water as it flows across the field. This method is most suitable for the fields with slopes compared to the basin method.

Drip irrigation

This system of irrigation mainly supplies the water to the crop as per the consumptive use. Drip irrigation is the high water use efficient system among all methods of irrigation. In arid regions of the world it is a most required method of irrigation. The main problems in arid region limited water resources and undulated land; both of these problems can be overcome by installing drip irrigation.

It has mainly four components which are suction, regulation, control, and final one is discharged, which are accomplished by water lifting pump, hydro cyclone filter, sand filter, fertilizer mixing tank, screen filter, pressure regulator, water meter, mainline, lateral and drippers. To supply water with pressure water lifting pump is essential. After lifting water will pass through hydro cyclone filter, sand filter, fertilizer mixing tank, and screen filter finally through drippers. All these filters are essential to the smooth flow of water through drippers; otherwise, pipelines may tend to clog.

Types of drip irrigation

High-pressure drip irrigation system: which works at operating pressure of 30 psi or more.

Low-pressure drip irrigation system: It works at operating pressure of less than 30 psi.

Advantages of drip irrigation:

It saves around 30-70 % of water.
It also saves cost labor.
Use of hilly terrain
It also decreases the weed problem.
It also increases plant growth, vigor, and yield.
Facilitate easy intercultural operations.
Ease the fertilizer application
Fewer incidences of various diseases.
It is most suitable for light soils.
Utilization of low-quality water.