LESSON NOTES-farming Systems
LESSON NOTES-farming Systems
LESSON NOTES-farming Systems
FORM 2 SOUTH
24 January 2024
Farming systems are the ways in which production is carried out on a farm as a
unit
A farmer can grow a single crop on the entire farm , can grow mixed crops in the
same field and devide the farm into units for livestock production and cop
producing all depending on the farming systems the farmer wants to follow
Mixed farming
Monoculture farming
Intercroping farming
MIXED FARMING
Mixed farming is a system which involve the rearing of animals and growing of
crops on the same farm.
An example of mixed farm with different enterprise is that a farm raising broilers,
dairy cattle and growing tobbaco and wheat
There is little wastage and value addition when crop residues are fed to farm
animals.
Mixed farming allows reducing the impact of unforeseen harzards that results in
production loses.
MONOCULTURE
Is the practice of growing the same crop on the same piece of land for several
years until the plants have lost productivity and then replaced
Monoculture is mainly practiced in plantation tree crops for timber , fruits and
sugarcane
The plant will occupy the same piece of land during production for several years
being managed by pruning , irrigation fertilizer application,weeding , diseases and
pest control to lengthen productive years of the plantation trees
ADVANTAGES OF MONOCULTURE
DISADVANTAGES OF MONOCULTURE
Lead to high levels of pests and disease build up which may be difficult to control
The same nutrients are exploited to depletion levels by the established plants
and some nutrients not required by plants are never used
May weaken the soil and lead to soil erosion if land is occupied with little leaf
foliage
INTERCROPING
Involves growing or planting of more than one crop at the same time on the
same piece of land .
A farmer can grow field beans and maize at the same time in the same field
ADVANTAGES OF INTERCROPING
Pest build up is reduced as some plants may chase away pest for other crop
DISADVANTAGES OF INTERCROPING
Bushy crops may harbor pests that's may affect other cropin the intercroping