Mixed farming is known for crop growing combined with raising livestock. Livestock enterprises complement crop production to provide a balance of farming and a productive system. In this farming, farmers do not depend on others for manure and external sources for animals. In India, mixed farming is practised mainly in Kerala and Odisha.
Cultivating crops with animal rearing for meat or milk defined mixed farming, such as wheat or rye, and raised cattle, sheep, pigs, or poultry. Cereal crops are often fertilized from cattle dung. Before horses were commonly used for hauling, many young male cattle on such farms were often not given butter as surplus for meat but used as oxen for carts and ploughs used to go.
Guidance of Mixed Farming
Mixed farming Characteristics
- Farms are moderate in area.
- A portion of land is possessed for the animal field. To enable the animal feeding portion of the farm to set aside for feeding animals or for growing animal feed if a farm decides to rear its animals in unique designed structures.
- Fertilizer from animals is used to prepare the soil. Animal rearing enables the farmer to get waste that he can apply on the farm to increase soil fertility, which will allow the operator to increase his harvest and income.
- Crop deposit is used for fodder. After collection, the farmer uses the crop trash, which saves some income for buying animal food and enables him to get quality annual produce such as meat and dairy products.
- Crops are improved, and animals are raised on the same farm.
Mixed farming conditions
- Soil should productive so that there would be many nutrients to meet the condition of different crops.
- Sunlight should also helpful as there would be no overshadowing of other products.
- Water should be sufficient as there would be different crops developing together. Also, an auger is best for preparing the land, and the Auger Price is also affordable for farmers.
- Finally, the fertilizer should compatible with various crops growing on your farm.
Mixed farming Advantages
- In this type of agriculture, the fields will not be exposed. They would be producing some of the other crops continuously.
- Continuous production will improve the productivity of the land on the farm.
- The profits will be enhanced as the land will be under output ultimately the year.
- One type of agriculture can raise the other one of mixed agriculture, which will reduce the cost of food and manure.
- If animal husbandry and crop farming are induced in the land, the crops will benefit the animals for food. In service, the waste generated by animals can be applied as manure for products.
Types of Mixed farming
This farming can be done in many ways, but the classification is based on the combination of crops or animal husbandry of livestock induced in this farming. Mixed farming methods can be arranged in many ways. It ultimately depends on the field’s size and the market’s orientation.
Mixed Cropping
Mixed cropping is also called polyculture. Farming of more than one crop takes place in intercropping. The crops will started simultaneously on the same farm. This is done to earn income from other crops if one harvest gets ripened in one season. There would be no place for plants in mixed cultivation. As a result, the richness of the farm will increase, and the support can applied to their height. In this cultivation, many implements use like Brush Cutter, Cultivator, Rotavator and many more.
Mixed Cropping Advantages
- Monoculture is an attractive yield in mixed cropping.
- If one crop fails in the yield, the farmer will not bear any losses as there would be added crop to depend on for income.
- The soil fertility will developed as the soil will receive many nutrients for the other product to begin.
- The weeds can established as the farm will be absorbed by crops, and there would be no place for weeds.
- The crops help each other by providing themselves to cast into each other.
- There would be an effective use of support, which increases the farm’s richness.
Difference between Mixed Cropping and Mixed Farming
Mixed farming is a cultivation system where the crops will connected with plants. These will kept in the same area. This is arranged so that the crops are utilized as food for animals, and the trash generated by animals can used as fertilizer for the weeds.
Different crops will be mixed on the same farm. Here there would not an entanglement of cattle, and this method is followed to make the highest use of soil sources.
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