Gourav Sabharwal
Diversifying the cropping system is already being practiced by agricultural producers to overcome crop production challenges, such as high land values, increased input costs, varying weather factors, increased demands for new products, etc. These challenges are already posing obstacles to generate more revenue per acre from traditional crops such as alfalfa (Northern Nevada Business Weekly Report, 2008). Thus, sustainability concerns have raised interest in crop diversification among agricultural producers, especially throughout the world. Crop diversification means growing more than one crop in an area. Diversification can be accomplished by adding a new crop species or different variety, or by changing the cropping system currently in use. Commonly it can mean adding more crops into an existing rotation. Diversification can also be implemented to replace low-value commodities with high-value commodities, such as vegetables and fruits. It can also include an integration of crops and livestock, defined as mixed farming. Crop diversity encompasses several aspects, such as crop species diversity, varietal diversity within crop species, and genetic diversity within crop species. It is recognized as one of the most feasible, cost-effective, and rational ways of developing a resilient agricultural cropping system.
Why does India need crop diversification? For more than five decades, farmers have been using the common government-promoted Green Revolution cropping pattern – rice-wheat-rice for a longer time to enhance productivity. Unilaterally, following the same cropping pattern for a longer period of time has resulted in extraction of specific nutrients from the soil, resulting in soil deficiency in those nutrients.
Declining population of micro fauna in the soil: The micro faunal population is responsible for the mobilisation and absorption of particular nutrients in the crop rhizo sphere. Without micro faunal activities, the soil is lost to self-perpetuate and its ecology for crop production.
Reduced resource-use efficiency: After the Green Revolution, Indian agriculture has been facing severe problems related to an increase in input cost to increase productivity. The direct increase in productivity in proportion to increase in input is limited to a certain extent and plateaus and then decreases with further increase in inputs. In India, productivity has plateaued in most regions.
Mono-cropping patterns have more chances to be attacked by the same types of insects and pests, which in turn are controlled by pumping the insecticides and pesticides. This accumulates the residue of these chemicals in soil which pollutes the soil, crop and environment. The introduction of diverse crops and cropping patterns help in a) Reviving soil health, b) Increasing the population of micro fauna, c) Increasing resource-use efficiency, d) Preventing change in soil’s chemical and biological properties, e) Reducing the application of weedicides or herbicides, etc. Therefore, there is an urgent need to change the crops and cropping pattern, that is crop diversification.
What is the role of agroforestry in crop diversification? The integration of trees in the cropping system, also known as agroforestry, plays a significant role in sustaining crop diversification. Agroforestry is a land-use system that includes trees, crops and/or livestock in a spatial and temporal manner, balancing both ecological and economic interactions of biotic and abiotic components.
Agroforestry can generate food, feed, fruits, fibre, fuel, fodder, fish, flavour, fragrance, floss, gum and resins as well as other non-wood products for food and nutritional security. It can also support livelihoods and promote productive, resilient agricultural environments in all ecologies. Globally, different agroforestry practices have played a key role in crop diversification. In North America, for instance, farmers preferred agroforestry over agriculture to improve their economic gain and natural resource conservation. Below is a list of some potential benefits of increasing crop diversity on the farm:
* Increases income on small farm holdings.
* Helps withstand fluctuation in commodity prices.
* Provides resilience to highly variable weather conditions resulting from climate change.
* Increases profits by reducing the cost of production.
* Provides more varied and healthful Food, both for humans and livestock.
* Decreases pest pressure, including diseases, insects and weeds.
* Enhances beneficial pollinator populations.
* Improves soil quality.
* Increases employment opportunities.
* Diverse rotations may increase crop yields and produce quality.
Some potential challenges to increased adoption of crop diversification on the farm are:
* Market demand may be limited by a range of factors, such as government policies, subsidies, etc.
* Lack of infrastructure for storage and transportation.
* Absence of suitable equipment.
* Price and supply of inputs.
* Lack of technical knowledge and references regarding their production practices.
* Lack of crop varieties adapted to the specific region.
* Fear of increased complexity.
* Public regulations.
Persistent low level of farmers’ income can cause serious adverse effect on the future of agriculture in the country. To secure future of agriculture and to improve livelihood of half of India’s population, adequate attention needs to be given to improve the welfare of farmers and raise agricultural income. Introduction, adaption and acceptance of new varieties as well as new and upcoming production technologies can potentially strengthen farmers’ cropping systems by increasing yields, improving drought resilience, boosting resistance to pests and diseases and also by capturing new market opportunities. There is a need to identify crops and varieties that may suit to a range of environments and farmers’ preferences. Crop diversification provides better conditions for food security and enables farmers to grow surplus products for sale at market and thus help to obtain increased income to meet other needs related to household well-being. Crop diversification can enable farmers to gain access to national and international markets with new products, food and medicinal plants. Diversifying from the monoculture of traditional staples can have important nutritional benefits for farmers in developing countries and can support a country for becoming more self-reliant in terms of food production. Diversification can also manage price risk, on the assumption that not all products will suffer low market prices at the same time and increase the profitability of the farming community.
