Polyculture is agriculture using multiple crops in the same space, in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems, and avoiding large stands of single crops, or monoculture. It includes crop rotation, multi-cropping, inter-cropping, and alley cropping. Monoculture describes systems that have very low diversity. ... Crop rotation: grain crop, fallow land, legumes Crop rotation is the practice of growing two (or more) dissimilar type of crops in the same space in sequence. ... In agriculture, multiple cropping is the practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same space during a single growing season. ... A cropping system of coconut and banana (Satavic Farms) Intercropping is the practice of cultivating an additional crop in the spaces available between the main crop. ...

Polyculture, though it often requires more labor, has several advantages over monoculture:

• The diversity of crops avoids the susceptibility of monocultures to disease. For example, a study in China reported in Nature showed that planting several varieties of rice in the same field increased yields by 89%, largely because of a dramatic (94%) decrease in the incidence of disease, which made pesticides redundant.

• The greater variety of crops provides habitat for more species, increasing local biodiversity. This is one example of Reconciliation Ecology, or accommodating biodiversity within human landscapes.

Polyculture is one of the principles of permaculture. First title page, November 4, 1869 Nature is one of the oldest and most reputable scientific journals, first published on 4 November 1869. ... Species Oryza glaberrima Oryza sativa Rice refers to two species (Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima) of grass, native to tropical and subtropical southeastern Asia and to Africa, which together provide more than one fifth of the calories consumed by humans. ... the plane is spreading pesticide. ... Rainforests are the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of life. ... Reconciliation Ecology is the concept of accomodating biodiversity within human landscapes. ... Permaculture Mandala summarising the ethics and principles of permaculture design. ...

See also

• Agroecology
• Companion planting
• Home gardens
• Forest gardening
• Heirloom plant

Agroecology is the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design, development, and management of sustainable agricultural systems. ... Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is planting of different crops in close physical proximity. ... Home Gardens is a census-designated place located in Riverside County, California. ... Forest gardening (also known as 3-Dimensional Gardening) is a food production and land management system based on replicating woodland edge ecosystems, substituting trees (such as fruit or nut trees), bushes, shrubs, herbs and vegetables which have yields directly useful to humankind. ... Only a few of the many varieties of potato are commercially grown; others are heirlooms. ...

External links

• Crop rotation and polyculture
• Polycultures in the Brazilian drylands
• Polyculture and disease prevention