Crop Rotation Quiz

Instruments Used for Measuring Plant Growth

• Pycnometer: Measures specific gravity of soil.
• Pluviometer: Used for measuring rainfall.
• Hydrometer: Determines specific gravity of liquids.
• Penetrometer: Assesses soil strength.
• Crescograph: Measures plant growth.
• Auxanometer: Device for measuring growth response of plants to stimuli.
• Manometer: Measures root pressure.
• Photometer: Analyzes transpiration or stomata behavior.
• Porometer: Measures transpiration rate.
• Potometer: Another instrument for measuring transpiration.
• Evaporimeter/Atmometer/Atmidometer: Used for measuring evaporation.
• Osmometer: Analyzes osmosis.
• Lysimeter: Measures evapotranspiration, percolation, and leaching losses.
• Tensiometer/Irrometer: Measures soil moisture tension.

Crop Rotation

• Defined as the repeated cultivation of crops and fallow in a specific sequence on the same land.

Principles of Crop Rotation

• Alternating leguminous plants with non-leguminous plants restores soil fertility.
• Exhaustive crops are followed by less exhaustive crops to maintain soil health.
• Tap root crops are intercropped with fibrous crops for even nutrient utilization.
• Incorporate fodder crops to provide roughage and pasturage for livestock.
• On sloped land, alternate crops that promote erosion with those that resist it.
• In dryland or irrigated areas, use drought-tolerant crops or crops that tolerate water stagnation.

Suitable Cropping

• Must match existing soil, climate conditions, and economic factors.

Sequence of Cropping

• Tailored for optimal land utilization.

Important Terminology

• Cropping Pattern: Yearly sequence and spatial arrangements of crops in a specific area.
• Cropping System: Interaction of a cropping pattern with all available farm resources.
• Cropping Scheme: Plan structured to grow crops for maximum return while maintaining soil fertility.
• Gross Cropped Area: Total area sown once or more within a year.

Net Area Sown

• Represents the area sown with crops, counted only once even if sown multiple times.

Cropping Intensity

• Calculation: (Gross cropped area/Net sown area) x 100.
• Example: India's cropping intensity is approximately 142%.

Crop Rotation Intensity

• Calculation: (No. of crops in crop rotation/No. of years in crop rotation) x 100.
• Example (1 year): Rice - Pea (200%), (2 years): Groundnut-Wheat-Sugarcane (150%).

Types of Cropping Systems

• Mono-Cropping: Growing a single crop repeatedly on the same land; could be due to climate or farmer specialization.

  • Advantages: Streamlined sowing and harvesting.
  • Disadvantages: Diminished soil fertility and increased pest/disease issues.

• Multiple Cropping: Cultivating two or more crops in one year on the same land.

  • Examples include arrangements like Sorghum-Wheat-Green Gram and Maize-Wheat-Green Gram.

Types of Multiple Cropping

• Parallel Cropping: Two or more crops grown together for part or all of their life cycles.

  • Mixed Cropping: Simultaneously growing crops with no distinct rows (e.g., Maize + Green gram).
    • Advantages: Reduces crop failure risk and improves soil fertility.
    • Disadvantages: Challenges in pest control and harvesting.

• Inter-Cropping: Growing two or more crops at the same time to enhance productivity and resource use.

  • Advantages: Improved soil fertility, yield stability, and pest resistance.
  • Disadvantages: Complicated harvesting and resource competition.

Types of Intercropping

• Mixed Intercropping: Similar to mixed cropping with no distinct row arrangement.
• Row Intercropping: One or more crops planted in rows, e.g., Maize + green gram (1:1).
• Relay Intercropping: Sequential planting where second crop is sown before the first is harvested.
• Strip Intercropping: Crops grown in strips allowing for independent cultivation yet interactive agronomy.

Test your knowledge on the instruments used for measuring plant growth in agriculture. This quiz covers various tools like pycnometers and pluviometers, detailing their functions and applications. Perfect for students and enthusiasts of plant science and agriculture.