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Agricultural monocultures refer to the practice of planting one crop species in a field. [15] Monoculture is widely used in intensive farming and in organic farming.In crop monocultures, each plant in a field has the same standardized planting, maintenance, and harvesting requirements resulting in greater yields and lower costs.
The overproduction for low prices drives many small farms out of business, as many small farms cannot compete with government-subsidized agricultural productions. This ironically, as Pollan argues, leads to "food deserts" in which farmers produce a certain crop that is modified to be inedible and serve another purpose; [ 3 ] this, coupled with ...
In an opportunity cropping system, crops are grown when soil water is adequate and there is a reliable sowing window. This form of cropping system is likely to produce better soil cover than a rigid crop rotation because crops are only sown under optimal conditions, whereas rigid systems are not necessarily sown in the best conditions available ...
Greenhouses allow for greater crop production and also use less water since they are closed systems. [84] Desalination techniques can turn salt water into fresh water which allows greater access to water for areas with a limited supply. [85] This allows the irrigation of crops without decreasing natural fresh water sources. [86]
Polyculture is the growing of multiple crops together in the same place at the same time. It has traditionally been the most prevalent form of agriculture. [1] Regions where polycultures form a substantial part of agriculture include the Himalayas, Eastern Asia, South America, and Africa. [2]
Evaporation from tilling increases the amount of water by around 1/3 to 3/4 inches (0.85 to 1.9 cm) per pass. [66] Gully formation can cause soil erosion in some crops, such as soybeans with no-tillage, although models of other crops under no-tillage show less erosion than conventional tillage. Grass waterways can be a solution. [67]
In 2015, about 2 billion people (slightly more than 25% of the world's population) in 500 million households living in rural areas of developing nations survive as "smallholder" farmers, working less than 2 hectares (5 acres) of land. [7] Around 98% of China's farmers work on small farms, and China accounts for around half of the total world ...
Field Water Efficiency (%) = (Water Transpired by Crop ÷ Water Applied to Field) x 100; Increased irrigation efficiency has a number of positive outcomes for the farmer, the community and the wider environment. Low application efficiency infers that the amount of water applied to the field is in excess of the crop or field requirements.