MULTI STORIED CROPPING SYSTEM IN HORTICULTURE-A SUSTAINABLE LAND USE APPROACH

P.K. NIMBOLKAR¹, CHANDRAKANT AWACHARE², SUBHASH CHANDER³*, FIROZ HUSAIN^4
1Division of Fruit Crops, ICAR- Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta lake post, Bangalore, 560089, Karnataka, India
²Division of Fruit Crops, ICAR- Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta lake post, Bangalore, 560089, Karnataka, India
³Division of Fruit Crops, ICAR- Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta lake post, Bangalore, 560089, Karnataka, India
⁴Division of Fruit Crops, ICAR- Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta lake post, Bangalore, 560089, Karnataka, India
* Corresponding Author : Subhash.Chander8@icar.gov.in

Received : 22-09-2016     Accepted : 30-10-2016     Published : 12-11-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 55       Pages : 3016 - 3019
Int J Agr Sci 8.55 (2016):3016-3019

Keywords : Multi-storied cropping, Ecological balance, Coastal regions and Canopy patterns
Academic Editor : Amarajeet Kumar Rai
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : None declared
Author Contribution : None declared

There are three major components including nutritional security, ecological restoration and economized productivity for sustainable production. Intensification of agricultural land use has led to the development of multi-storied cropping system and crop mixtures. The introduction of multi-storied cropping system ensures the use of best combination of crop-tree intercropping to reduce the impacts of floods, landslides and droughts. Also, itensures a regular income and employment throughout the year from harvest of different tree crops in different seasons. A multi storey cropping system accommodates crops of different heights, canopy patterns and rooting systems to maximize the sunlight, nutrients and sustainable land use. Land cultivated in this way can maintain an ecological balance and facilitates the judicious and efficient use of all natural resources. In addition to this, multi-storied cropping systems are more amicable for horticultural crops as they include tree species, shrubs, climbers, annuals and shade loving or tolerant species. Such multi-storied cropping systems are predominantly practiced in Coastal regions of India