D. Other Types of Multiple Cropping

Alley cropping: It is planting rows of trees at wide spacing with a companion crop grown in the alleyways between the rows.

♤ It diversifies the sources of farm income, improves crop production and provide protection and conservation benefits to crops.

♤ Common examples of alley cropping plantings include wheat, corn, soybeans or hay planted in between rows of black walnut or pecan (a type of walnut) trees.

Relay Cropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously during the part of the life cycle of each.

♤ The second crop is planted after the first crop has reached its reproductive stage of growth, but, before it is ready for harvest. Ex: rice fallow pulses i.e pulses gown on land where rice is nearing its harvest season.

♤ This allows farmers to grow two crops in one season in places where the growing season is not long enough to accommodate two crops.

Ratoon cropping: Ratooning is a method of harvesting a crop which leaves the roots and the lower parts of the plant uncut to give the ratoon or the stubble crop. Crop regrows out of roots or stalks after harvest of crops.

♤ The main benefit of ratooning is that the crop matures earlier in the season. Ratooning can also decrease the cost of preparing the field and planting.

♤ However, this method cannot be used endlessly as the yield of the ratoon crop decreases after each cycle.

♤ Ratooning is most often used with crops which are known to give a steady yield for three years under most conditions eg sugarcane, banana, pineapple.