What is it?
Strip cropping
It is an improved version of mixed cropping, which involves cultivating a field partitioned into long, narrow strips. Desired crops are grown in relatively narrow strips and are separated by strips of erosion resistance crops. Strip cropping employs several good farming practices, including crop rotation, contour cultivation, proper tillage, stubble mulching, cover-cropping, etc.
Different forms of strip cropping are:
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Contour strip cropping – It is the growing of a soil-exposing and erosion-permitting crop in strips of suitable widths across the slopes on contour, alternating with strips of a soil-protecting and erosion-resisting crop |
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Wind strip cropping - It consists of planting tall-growing crops such as jowar, bajra or maize, and low-growing crop in alternately arranged straight and long, but relatively narrow, parallel strips laid out right across the direction of the prevailing wind regardless of the contour |
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Permanent or temporary buffer strip cropping - In the case of permanent or temporary buffer strip cropping, the strips are established to take care of critical, i.e. steep or highly eroded, slopes in fields under contour strip cropping. These strips do not form part of the rotation practised in normal strip cropping, and they are generally planted with perennial legumes, grasses or shrubs on a permanent or temporary basis |