What are the features of horizontal diversification of crops?
Answers
Heya here we go....
Horizontal diversification refers to the cultivation of an increasing number of crops on a plot as against one or two major crops. According to Gunasena (2006), the main form and commonly understood concept of crop diversification is the addition of more crops to the existing cropping systems.
Hope it helps!
#Mr Príñçé
Answer:
Crop diversification is the practice of producing a variety of crops in a farm enterprise or system. Diversification can be described as horizontal and as vertical. Horizontal diversification means expanding the types of crops being grown. For example, Nuru farmers across Kenya and Ethiopia are or will be growing a total nine different crops through the Agriculture Program. Vertical crop diversification means to expand the amount of activities that take place with particular crops. This could include, for example, grains milling, packaging, or further value addition. Nuru’s current focus is primarily on crop diversification at the horizontal level.
Smallholder farmers in situations of extreme poverty have limited land and labor. The choice of what to grow thus becomes incredibly important. Crop diversification presents distinct advantages and disadvantages as a livelihood strategy.
+ Having many different crops increases resilience to pests, diseases, weeds and aberrant weather.
– While risks from these factors are spread out over a number of crops, the risks are not completely eliminated.
+ The availability of different crops for food can increase household food security and nutrition.
– Depending on crop choices, food security could take precedent over crops for sale and thus reduce available income.
+ Producing a variety of different crops insulates farmers from markets. Even if the sale price of one crop drops, the farmer has other crops that can sell at favorable prices.
– The counterpoint is that the returns to the use of a farmer’s land and labor are variable.
+ Growing diverse crops on farm plots mitigates the environmental impact of mono-cropping.
– A farmer must have or be able to quickly obtain the knowhow to grow and manage different crops well.
Since this mix of pros and cons quickly becomes rather murky waters to navigate, care must be taken to introduce the right combination of crops that maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages.