Multiple cropping potential in sustainable agriculture and doubling up income of farmers in India: A review

Kamini Singh¹*, L.S. Gangwar¹, Brahm Prakash¹, Om Prakash¹, Pallavi Yadav¹, A. D. Pathak¹, Chandra Bhan² and Shalu Rawat²*

¹ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow-226005, Uttar Pradesh, India

²Department of Environmental Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow-226025, Uttar Pradesh, India

ARTICLE INFOR: Received: 15 September 2022; Revised: 06 December 2022; Accepted: 08 December 2022

CORRESPONDING AUTHORS: E-mail: kaminipkv@gmail.com (K. Singh); shalurawat200@gmail.com (S. Rawat)

J. Appl. Sci. Innov. Technol. 1 (2), 56-59 (2022)

Abstract

In order to increase agricultural productivity in constrained farming areas, marginalized small-holder farmers have traditionally used the multiple cropping agriculture system. In this paper, the practices used by marginalized farmers in general are highlighted, along with a brief assessment of the advantages of multiple cropping. Because of the distinct seasonality and growth behavior, it is typically believed that various cropping approaches encourage companion crops to efficiently utilize various resources such as water, air, nutrients, water, space and light in temporal as well as spatial dimensions. In a situation, where safety of food and nutrition are major concerns, multiple cropping may be a practical approach to deal with uncertainties and changes. In challenging or difficult environments, the final result of multiple cropping could be seen as an increase in agricultural output, a guarantee of subsistence, and an increase in farm income. Multiple cropping produces a variety of food products. By implementing a mixed/interpreting system, farmers can alleviate agrarian suffering. As a result, even if the selling price of one harvest is lower than the others, multiple cropping makes it possible to receive multiple crops at once. Farmers may produce more food, quadruple their revenues, and contribute more to international development by using certain cropping patterns. For small scale farmers who make up the major fraction in emerging nations like India, the significance of multiple cropping is plainly implied by this.

Keywords: Cropping system; intercropping; multiple cropping; Indian farming; sugarcane

Scope: Agricultural Sciences