3 Answers
Crop rotation is one of the methods of crop production that ensures high yield. It is the method of growing two or more varieties of crops on the same land in sequential seasons. A crop utilises some particular nutrients in larger quantities from the soil. Then, if the same crop is grown in subsequent seasons those nutrients will get depleted in the soil. Therefore, crops having different nutrient requirements are rotated. For example, legumes which have nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules supply the soil with nitrogen. Therefore, these legumes are rotated with nitrogen requiring cereals such as wheat and maize. This method reduces the need of fertilizers, thereby increasing the overall yield of crops.
Inter-cropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field in a definite pattern. A few rows of one crop alternate with a few rows of second crop, for example, soya bean + maize, or finger millet (bajra) + cow pea (lobia). The crops are selected such that their nutrient requirements are different. This ensures maximum utilization of the nutrients supplied and also prevents pests and diseases from spreading to all the plants belonging to one crop in a field. This way both crops can give better returns.
Inter cropping is a method of crop production which ensures high yield. It is a practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same field in rows. In inter cropping definite row patterns are followed such as one row of main crop of is followed by two row of intercrop. In inter cropping there is greater utilisation of the interspaced area, light , nutrients, water and air. As a result productivity per unit area increased.