Monoculture farming

Monoculture farming demanded great quantities of mineral fertilizers and wide application of herbicides, thus, the planned targets for cotton and rice were achieved through apphcation of enormous quantities of mineral fertilizers (up to 600 kg ha which is 20 times more than the norm) as well as chemicals and defoliants (15 times more than the norm). Moreover, crop rotations were not observed from year to year cotton was grown on the same lands, and the situation with rice was the same. As a result, the quality of the cotton and nutritive value of the rice were incessantly deteriorating. 

Utilization of beneficial plant associations Practice of mixed cultures, as ccnpared to monoculture adopted in the U.S. due to farm mechanization, could lead to utilizing the beneficial associations for the long-term benefit of agriculture. It has been suggested that such an approach is even more profitable for developing countries. 

Crop rotation is a system where different plants are grown in a defined sequence. The well-designed crop rotation is the basis of the success in organic farming. Continuous monoculture is unacceptable due to the increased pressure of weeds and pathogens and difficulties with maintaining soil fertility. Diversity of crops in... 

Domination of one type of land use, i.e., irrigated farming oriented to monoculture of cotton in the Central Asian republics led to maximum simplification of the structure of the regional socio-economic system, to enhanced dependence on the functioning of one factor - water resources, while almost completely neglecting social dependence on environmental conditions. 

The current system of farm subsidies in the United States is often mentioned as a barrier to low-input agriculture.358 To remain in a price-support system, a farmer may have to continue a monoculture with heavy inputs of fertilizers and pesticides and without crop rotation. Farm subsidies in the United States are 8.5 billion/yr.359 Conven-... 

One invariant in this system is crop variety. Not only are the same crop varieties used on the same farm, but the same varieties are used on many farms in broad localities. Add to that the fact that many farms are now growing only one or two different kinds of crops, and this had led to hnge areas devoted to monoculture. 

Monocultures Single crops grown on large farms, typical of industrialized agriculture since the early twentieth century. 

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