Types of Cropping Systems

Crop System Types In the Commercial Horticulture Industry: 

In the commercial horticulture industry, every facility and company design is different. There are no two facilities alike. With this in mind, a grower needs to select and implement the right cropping system for their needs as well as the plant needs. Each system has their advantages and possible drawbacks. Depending on the type of operation, the crops being grown, budget, market, profit margins, and overall goals, an operation may opt for a certain type of cropping system or a combination of the systems. 

Monocropping Systems

Monocropping is a practice that horticulturalists and agriculturalists implement through the growing of a single crop year after year on the same land or growing area. This is the opposite of the polyculture systems where two or more crops are grown on the same land as a rotation basis of some form. The most common types of crops grown in monocropping are corn, soybeans, and wheat.

The main advantage of monocropping is the ability of an operation to have consistent crops throughout the entire operation which means that the grower can select the most profitable crop, use the same seeds, implement the same integrated pest management plan across the operation, use the same machinery and equipment, and use the same growing methods across the operation. This may increase profitability of the operation and does help in seasonal planning and organization of a facility.

There are some drawbacks to monocropping such as risks of higher loss in the event of pathogens or pests, the need for more soil amendments to make up for plant nutrient loss and overall soil property damages, and the possibility of complications of maintaining the cover of the soil in -between growing seasons. 

Crop Rotation-

Crop rotation is one of the more practiced cropping systems for large scale operations that have their hands in many avenues and markets. Crop rotation is the practice of growing different crops in the same field or growing area in a sequence of growing seasons. In other words, one season a grower may plant soybeans in an area and then next plant corn in the same growing area the following season. Growers typically have a system or pattern in place for field or growing area crop rotations.

A main advantage of crop rotation is the conservation of soil and media of plant nutrients and overall structure. Crop rotation also helps in the control of pests and pathogens reducing outbreaks and long term effects of pest and disease damage. A well designed system of crop rotation can also reduce the need for fertilizers and nutrient amendments to the soil.

A possible drawback of crop rotation is that this practice requires a lot of pre-planning as the crop choice must correspond to the number of conditions required by crops such as weather, market, and labor. A faulty crop rotation can cause problems that may take years to fully recover from. Common crops that are used in crop rotation practices include, but are not limited to legumes, nightshades, allium, chicories, and more. 

Sequential Cropping-

Sequential cropping systems are a form of crop rotation where an operation grows two or more crops in a sequence where a crop replaces the next right after harvest. This practice typically involves an additional crop after the harvest of a main crop grown in the field or growing area. Sequential cropping is typically a practice where there are wet and dry seasons. A grower will grow a crop that requires high amounts of moisture for the main crop so that the operation has a guaranteed crop for the season. After this is harvested, the operation will plant a crop that may not need as much moisture as the first.

There are risks involved with this practice as there is a very tight timeline in growing two crops in a season especially for areas where the growing seasons are shortened due to cold temperatures. In areas of extended growing seasons or within enclosed facilities, this practice may be the ideal method of cultivation. A direct example of sequential cropping is with a system where an operation plants legumes after rice or rainfed cereal crops are harvested.

Intercropping-

Intercropping is a practice where operations or farms grow more than one crop at one time in a specific area. This practice is used in many cultures around the world, so it should come as no surprise that commercial operations may implement this practice. The common goal of intercropping is to produce a higher yield in a field or growing area that uses the same land resources or ecological processes that otherwise may or may not be used by a single crop. There are many benefits to this practice such as resource partitioning, mutualism of crops, and pest management.

This practice does have some limitations such as mixed results of intercropping as a pest control method, and the implementation of diverse crops in the same area does not always show positive reduction of pests and an increase in overall yields. Some examples of crops grown through intercropping are chili peppers with coffee plants, coconut with marigolds, and oat and rye mixed. 

There are variations of intercropping that have the same concept, but are implemented differently either in design of cultivation or the overall style. Other methods of intercropping include mixed intercropping and row intercropping. Mixed intercropping is where a grower distributes seeds of both crops without any organization of rows. This practice is easy to do, however, it may make weeding, fertilization, and harvesting difficult further down the road. A grower may plant a main crop in organized rows, but then spread seeds throughout the rows as a mix or organization. Row intercropping is where a grower plants both the main crop and the seeds of an intercrop in rows. This can be seen with cover crops. 

Stir Cropping-

Stir Cropping is a practice that growers implement in the same growing area or field over a large area. Instead of complacent rows and sections that can be seen in intercropping, these shared growing areas are wide and very distinct in their separation. Stir cropping involves the planting of broad strips of several crops in a field that are typically 3-9 meters wide. For sloped areas, the strips can be planted along contours to prevent erosion or soil loss as a form of cover crop. The next year, a grower can choose to rotate their crops by planting different crops in the designated strips.

This practice produces a variety of crops, can improve soil fertility, the rotation helps with pest and weed issues, and the residues from one strip can be used as soil cover for the next strip. This practice does avoid some of the issues seen in intercropping as it allows a grower to control each crop section individually and allows for reduced competition between the different crops. 

Relay Cropping-

Relay cropping is a form of intercropping, but is different enough that it gets its own classification. This is the process of growing one crop in an area and then planting another crop usually a cover crop directly in the same field before harvesting the first crop. This practice helps in avoiding competition between the two crops as the first is harvested soon after the second is planted.

This also uses the field for a longer amount of time and allows the soil or media to not be exposed to the elements reducing erosion and overall damage to the soil profiles. Pest and plant disease control are essential in this practice as there are no rest periods between crops being grown in the same area. So a well designed and implemented integrated pest management system should be in place. 

The selection of the cropping type is solely based on the growers needs, plant needs, and overall goals of the operation. Considerations that should be considered when selecting a cropping system include, but are not limited to overall cost and budgets, marketability of the crops, profitability of the operation, and whether the cropping system should be singular or mixed.

For assistance in selecting the right cropping method for the operation, growers can reach out to MORR Inc. and their expert staff backed by decades of combined industry experience. Assistance in planning, installation, maintenance, and waste management gives an ace up the sleeve to any grower’s operation regardless of experience levels. 

https://www.morr.com/services