This article takes a look at the agricultural system in Nigeria and the various methods used by different groups of people for crop production and livestock management in order to supply human needs.
In these systems, the aim of the farmers has
always been the same - to make his land produce as much as he needs and to keep
the soil fertile to support sufficient agricultural productions.
What is agricultural System?
Agricultural farming systems are simply the way a farmer
makes use of resources available for sustainable agriculture to meet his needs.
Whiles doing all that, he tries to preserve and maintain the environment.
As
you read on, you will learn and understand very simply the various types of
farming.
An agricultural system, or agro-ecosystem, is a collection of components that has as its overall purpose the production of crops and raising livestock to produce food, fiber, and energy from the Earth's natural resources. Such systems may also cause undesired effects on the environment. Agricultural farming systems come when necessary. Over the years many factors have changed farming systems.
These
factors include:
1. Available
water, land, grazing areas, arable lands, forest; climate, landscape etc.
2. The
dominant pattern of farm activities and household livelihoods. These include
field crops, livestock, trees and aquaculture. Also, hunting and
gathering, processing and off-farm activities.
3. The
main technologies we use. This determines the intensity of production and
integration of crops, livestock and other activities.
Read On: Agricultural Extension Service
Various agricultural systems
Below
listed are the 8 various kinds of agricultural systems:
1.
Shifting Cultivation
2.
Land Rotations
3.
Mixed Farming
4.
Bush Fallow
5.
Continuous Cropping
6.
Monocropping (Sole Cropping)
7.
Crop Rotation
8.
Mixed Farming
1. Shifting Cultivation: The most common system of agriculture practiced
in Nigerian traditional villages is shifting cultivation. Under this system the
farmer clears a piece of land and plants his crop. After one to three
successive planting seasons, he leaves this piece of land and clears another,
to allow the first piece of land to regain its fertility. He (farmer) may come
back to the first piece of land after many years. During this period, this
first piece of land grows into a bush and the land regains its richness through
the leaves that fall and decay on the soil.
This
system was practicable in the older days because population was small and the
farmer plants only for himself and his family. Nowadays, because of increase in
population, shifting cultivation may not be desirable and practicable, in some
areas.
2. Land Rotation: A
modified form of shifting cultivation is called land rotation. Under this
system, a farmer makes use of a piece of land, over a number of years, when he
feels that the land is becoming poor, he leaves it for another plot only to
come back to the original plot, after some years. Land rotation is still
practiced in some part of the tropics, especially in sparsely populated
districts. This, in a region known for rapid re-growth of its secondary
vegetation- like the equatorial and rain forest zones, present no problem to
its pre-cultivation level.
However,
the condition is different for grass land areas, as the grass does not drop
enough litter to restore the fertility of the soil rapidly. Another factor
which makes shifting cultivation and land rotation undesirable in grassland
areas is frequent destruction of humus through indiscriminate bush burning etc.
This is due to the method of disposing rubbish after cleaning since the
vegetation in the tropics cannot easily be buried after clearing; the easiest
way of disposing of it is by burning.
During
burning, fire burns the humus of the soil and in addition destroys some of the
elements of nutrient like nitrogen, sulphur and carbon. Sometimes, the fire
spreads over the fallow plots and destroys the vegetative cover, as well as any
litter that could have been added to the soil.
The
soil is exposed to unnecessary leaching and soil wash.
Some of the features of
shifting cultivation are mixed cropping, bush fallow,
subsistence farming and extensive farming.
3. Mixed Farming:
This means planting more than one type of crop on one plot of land at the same
time. Yam, Maize, Melon, and Okra often go together, while maize, cassava and
okra are planted on the same plot. The purpose of planting more than one crop
on a plot of land is to prevent crop failure and to fully utilize the fertility
of the soil.
It
has even been argued by some people that under the traditional methods of farming,
mixed cropping are more economical; they held that total proceeds from a plot
on mixed cropping have been found to be greater than that for a similar plot on
sole crop.
In
order to achieve this successfully, the following points are very essential:
a.
The soil must be in a very fertile condition.
b.
The crop must be such that none disturbs the progress of the other.
c.
All the crops should not be equally vigorous at the same time to allow even
nutrient uptake.
d.
Some must be shade tolerant.
e.
The nutrient requirements of the crops should not be too identical to avoid
excessive competition. The most suitable combination of plants for intercrop
planting involves those that have a definite difference in their rate of
growth.
Hence,
a crop that matures after several months may be intercropped (with an
advantage) with a crop that matures in half the time. When the early maturing
crop is harvested, it gives room for the late maturing to develop fully.
Examples
of typical combinations for inter-cropping with local crops are- tomatoes and
green vegetable, hot pepper and okra, eggplant and spinach/green vegetable ,
sorghum or millet, cowpeas/millet or cowpea/cotton, guinea
corn/cowpea/groundnuts, maize/cassava/barbara groundnuts.
With
modern farming methods, mixed cropping has the following disadvantages:
a.
The fel1ilizer mixture suitable for one of the crops may not be suitable for
the other crops. This may reduce the yield of the other crops.
b.
A plot containing different crops of varying heights and distances cannot be
easily adapted to mechanization.
4.
Bush Fallow: Here, when a farmer observes that the soil has lost much of its
fertility, he moves over to another plot of land leaving the former plot to
re-grow into a bush. When a plot is under bush fallow, there is hardly any
addition of nutrients to the soil.
If,
however, the fallow period extends to five or more years, the roots of the
plants in the plot will grow deeper into the subsoil. Thus, they will recapture
the nutrient elements lost from the topsoil through leaching and return them to
the topsoil through leaf fall. This accounts for the rejuvenation of soil under
bush fallow.
5. Continuous Cropping:
This system, practiced in densely populated areas involves putting a piece of
land under cultivation from year to year. The crop planted may either be annual
or perennial. Continuous cropping can be well organized in a crop rotation
system but it often leads to soil exhaustion, erosion and low productivity.
6. Mono-cropping (Sole
Cropping): This is the practice of growing exclusively one type of
annual crop and harvesting it before planting another one on the same plot of
land. It is a risky system, analogous to carrying all one’s eggs in one basket.
The farmer will be exposed to the danger of poor harvest, in case of adverse
climatic condition or invasion of pest and diseases; and he may be forced to
depend on other farmers for other food crops that he does not produce.
7. Crop Rotation:
This is the third stage in the evolution of farming system. Crop rotation can
be defined as fixed sequence of growing different crops on one field at
different times. Crop rotation involves the use of land- but the crops planted
on the land are changed from year to year or from season to season. Crop
rotation has replaced land rotation and shifting cultivation in all advanced
countries.
Even
in more primitive societies, the rapid increase in population has forced people
to come closer to crop rotation. Under the population pressure, it is no long
possible to allow a fallow period of up to three years, in most communities.
In
that case, the land has to be used almost continuously. In such a circumstance,
the fertility of the soil has been maintained by the application of manure and fertilizer
different crops require different amount nutrient. Some use much and are known
as exhaustive crops- e.g. maize, yam, and cassava. Others can actually add
nutrients to the soil e.g. legumes. Every year, a different kind of crop is
planted in order to prevent depletion of nutrient. The crops should be arranged
such that an increase in the yield of one results in an increase in the yield
of the next crop.
For
example a good legume crop will increase the nitrogen content of the soil, with
the result that if the next is maize- which requires nitrogen, it will do well.
Crops that require high nutrient should come first in the rotation.
Some
crops have deep root that go deep into the soil and therefore feed deep, others
have shallow roots. This enables the deep feeder to collect some of the nutrients
materials that could be washed into the subsoil. It is necessary to consider
the pest and diseases that attack crops in the rotation. As far as possible,
the crops that are prone to being attacked by the same diseases or pests should
not follow each other. Where a pest or disease has been identified, crops that
are very resistant to the pest or diseases should be planted first. This will
lower the incidence of the disease. Cultural practice should also be given
adequate consideration. The only snag in this system is the cost involved;
stumping especially can be very expensive, particularly in the forest zones.
Inter-planting
This
involves growing any major crop in between another crop, on the same piece of
land. The crop planted later remains on the plot after the first crop has been
harvested. Cassava and maize can be grown in this way.
Inter-cropping
This
is the planting of quick-growing and quick-maturing crops between slow-growing
and slow-maturing crops. Melon is intercropped with Yam, for example. The life
cycle of both crops are short enough for them to fall within the same course,
in the same year- e.g. groundnut is followed by late maize.
Read On: Methods of Farming in Nigeria
Advantages of Crop Rotation
a.
It facilitates the control of weed, pest and diseases.
b.
It makes for effective utilization of plant nutrient.
c.
Under a good system of rotation, the fertility of the soil is maintained.
d.
Labour is used much more effectively.
e.
The soil is put into maximum use, without being destroyed.
Plan of a Rotation
Divide
your land according to the numbers of crop, according to the numbers of years.
Suppose you have four crops- a, b, c, and d to be planted on four plots of land
A, B, C, and D respectively for the first season; during the second season,
crop b goes to A, c to B, d on C and a on D. During the third season, c goes on
a, d on E, a on C and b on D for the fourth season, d goes on A, a on B, b on C
and c on D; the rotation is completed and the system starts all over again.
An
efficient rotation is one that maintains soil structure and controls pest and
diseases. This can be judged on long term basis. In this rotation, yam is
inter-planted with vegetables like telfairia, which helps to cover the soil
against splashing or rain-drop erosion.
8. Mixed Farming: The integration of animal production and crop production on the same farm is described as mixed farming. By this method, the farmer can operate throughout the year and he can operate economically. He can feed his animals - cattle, pigs, chickens with his farm products, especially at times when such crops are attracting low price in the market.
Also,
the need to have a source of manure in order to maintain effective rotation
makes some people to combine crop production with animal husbandry.
Another
advantage of this system is that farm yard manure can be used to enrich the
soil, and also farm by-products like straws, groundnut, and cowpea can be used
as livestock feed.
In
some communities, the animals not only supply manure but also serve as a means
of transportation and provide labour for ploughing.
Conclusion on 8 Agricultural Systems
It
has been highlighted to you in this unit that, from time immemorial,
traditional agriculture in the forest and savannah zones has proved to be man’s
most effective response to his environment in ensuring his survival and
prosperity.
Agricultural
systems are the various method used by different groups of people for producing
crops and livestock in order to supply human needs. Some of these systems
include shifting cultivation, crop rotation, mono cropping, monoculture, and
mixed farming, to mention just a few.