Mono Cropping: Mono-cropping or monoculture refers to growing of only one crop on a piece of land year after year. It may be due to climatological and socio-economic conditions or due to specialisation of a farmer in growing a particular crop, e.g., under rained conditions, groundnut or cotton or sorghum are grown year after year due to limitation of rainfall. In canal irrigated areas, under a waterlogged condition, rice crop is grown as it is not possible to grow any other crop.
Multiple Cropping: Growing two or more crops on the same piece of land in one calendar year is known as multiple-cropping. It is the intensification of cropping in time and space dimensions, i.e., more number of crops within year and more number of crops on same piece of land any give period. It includes inter-cropping, mixed-cropping and sequence cropping. . Double-cropping is a case where the land is occupied by two crops, which are grown in a year in sequence.]
Inter Cropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field. Crop intensification is in both time and space dimensions. There is intercrop competition during all or part of crop growth. Inter-cropping was originally practiced as an insurance against crop failure under rained conditions. At present main objective of inter-cropping is higher productivity per unit area in addition to stability in production. Inter-cropping system utilizes resources efficiently and their productivity is increased.