CROPPING SYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

AGRON 511 CREDITS 2(2 +0)

Unit No. &
Lecture No. Topic
THEORY
Unit-1
1 Cropping System Definition Introduction - Basic terminology of cropping
systems.
2 &3 Indices and its importance Indices for evaluating productivity and efficiency
relative Yield Total/ Langequalivalent Ratio- Effective Land Equivalent Ratio
(ELER)-Staple Land Equivalent Ratio (SLER- Land Equivalent Coefficient (LEC)
Area & Time EquivaleDt ratio (ATER) - Area Harvest Equivalency Ratio (AHER) -
crop Performance ratio (CPR) Yield Advantage Index Monetary Equivalent
Ratio,
4 &5 Physical Resources Resources Use Efficiency Conversion efficiency Light Use
Efficiency- Interference interactions - Additive reactions- Removal Interactions
- Complimentarity Interactions Mutualism Resource use Annidation
Annidation in space and time
non legume combination.
-Temporal complimentarity nitrogen in legumes
6&7 Soil and crop productivity -Organic matter in the soil
Tillage Legumes in the
rotation- Rotation versus continuous
cropping-Green manure crops -Animal
manures.
Water management Water
-

harvesting- evaporation and water requirements-

Water Use Efficiency (WUE)
-Scheduling irrigation System based irrigation
Scheduling.
9&10 Assessment of land use -

Multiple Cropping Index (MCI)

Rotational Intensity- Harvest Diversity Index (HDI), Diversity
-

(DI)Index -

Simultaneous Cropping Index

(SCI) Cultivated Land Utilization Index (CLUI),
Cropping
Specific Cropping Intensity Index (SCil), Relative Cropping Intensity Index (CII),
input and output. Intensity Index (RCII),
Unit
A1 Concept of sustainability in cropping systems
Objectives. Farming systems Scope
-

12&13 Production potential under monoculture

cropping- Sequential cropping and intercropping Multiple cropping Alley
advantage in inter cropping systems. cropping Mechanism of yield
Unit Il
14 & 15 Above and below ground interactions
competition
-

for solar
competition for carbon dioxide -competition for soil factors- radiation
Allelopathy types of allelopathy Allelo Chemicals other interactions
Sorghum effect -Cotton Legume effect
16 Competition relationship-enect Annidation-Overall effects of
competition.
Replacement series - Mutual inhibition
operation Compensation-criteria for assessing yield
-

Mutual co-
advantage.
30 | Page
 cropping
multistoried
Sustainable species for
Multi-stored cropping
17 and
Precautions for multistoried cropping.
Early sowing-
Choice ofcrops
Proper tillage
-

Role of low monetary inputs-

18 and Pest management. Use of
varietiesPlant population Weed Problems of
unsustainable
-

use of
Sustainable Agriculture pollution and
Research needs on erosion-water
19 & 20 by soil
resources
-
Problems caused residue management
natural crop
reduced tillage farming weed and
pesticides- no -tillage and rotations as
integrated pest,
cover crops and crop
techniques
disease management strategies.
-Sustainability of
Unit- IV Productivity Profitability- round the year
-

diversification-Advantages-
Crop Money
21, 22 & 23 Pollution from
environment-Recycling-
Fuel and
balanced food- Fodder crisis -

energy
crisis.
Solving
Adoption of new technology
-

Employment regeneration
-

timber crisis Avoid degradation forests of

oriented industries
Provide opportunity for agriculture
Improves literacy in diversified farming
Terminology used
Strategies to increase input efficiency Industrial
farming-Precision farming Organic farming-
systems-Exploitative and second
Positive impacts of crop diversity
Biodynamic farming
-

farming Measurement of
diversification
influencing crop
Factors
green revolution
diversification-Simpson Index (SID).
Soil organic matter
24 Organic matter in soil Functions of organic matter Farm yard
Introduction -

Crop residues
-

decomposition Organic resources-

manureCompost-green manure legume in rotation -concentrated organic
manures-vermin composting.
patterns-Cropping system Different types
-

25, 26& 27 Major cropping systems -Cropping

Intensive cropping- Multiple
of cropping systems viz., Mono cropping
cropping including various forms of multiple cropping Dry land cropping -

systems- Inter cropping- Sequential cropping system Contingency crop

Rice
planning Irrigated cropping systems Inter cropping- Relay cropping
-

based cropping systems - Ratoon cropping-Agronomy of cropping systems.

28 Crop residue management their availability and usage effects on soil

properties and crop yields oilcakes miscellaneous plant products and
resources-Rating of crop residuesfor recycling-future research needs.
29 & 30 Fertilizer use efficiency and concept of fertilizer use in intensive cropping system
- Designing fertilizer practices of cropping systems. Nutrient requirement of
component crops Nutrient supplementation index (NSI) - Pattern of nutrient
uptake Response to nutrient application Legume effect Soil contribution -
Rates of fertilizer application -

Effects of intensive
cropping on soil properties-
Physical properties-chemical properties integrated nutrient Management.
-

Unit-V
31 Plant ideo types the concept and application plant ideotypes for Dry land
Agriculture.
32 Plant growth regulators and their role in
in cereal production How do plant
-
sustainability- Plant growth regulators
growth regulators work?
growth and seedling Modifying root
establishment Straw characteristics Effects on stem
31 | Page
 elongation and developing resistance build up of stem reserves Modifying
tillering and tiller growth and yield -floret Grain and spikelet set, grain filling
rate duration of
plant phases and senescence processes - enhancing yield
formation- Regulation of
Gibberellins for plant stress protection.
REFERENCES
1. Palaniappan, S.P. & Sivaraman, K. 1996. Cropping systems in the Tropics
Principles and
Management. New Age International (P) Limited Publishers, New Delhi, pp. 197.
2. Panda, S.C.2003. Cropping and Farming
Systems.
Reddy, S.R.2000. Principles of Crop Production. Agribios
3.
(India), Jodhpur, India.
4. Sakaran, S. & Mudaliar, T.C.S. 1997.
Kalyani Publishers, New delhi, pp. 428.
Publ. Co.,
Principles of Agronomy. The Bangalore Printing &
Bangalore, India.
5.
5. Singh, S.S. 2006.
Principles and Practices of
6. Tisdale, S.L., Nelson, W.L, Beaton, J.D. & Agronomy. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi.
Havlin, J.L.1997. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers.
Prentice Hall of India Private Limited, New
Delhi, India.