(a) Define: (i) Taungya farming, (ii) Crop rotation.
(b) State four advantages of taungya farming.
(c) State four principles underlying the choice of a crop rotation system
(d) Enumerate four advantages of crop rotation.
(e) Under what situations would you recommend to a farmer to embark on crop rotation?
Explanation
(a)(i) Taungya farming is a cropping in which arable crops are cultivated on the same piece of land in-between rows of young forest trees (ii) Crop rotation is the system of p of planting different types on a piece of land every year following a definite or sequential order.
(b) Advantages of taungya farming are (i) it leads to variety in crops harvested. (ii) lt also leads to availability of crop produced throughout the year. (iii) When leguminous crops are used, the beneficial effect of root nodules increases soil fertility for the benefit of the forest trees.(iv) Where land is scarce, the farmer has a piece of land to cultivate. (v) It enables the young forest trees to receive direct and indirect,attention from the farmer. (vi) It increases the income of the farmer.
(c) The principles underlying the choice of a crop rotation system are: (i) different crops take different nutrients from the soil. (ii) different crops take nutrients from different layers of the soil. (iii) crops having the same diseases should not follow each other. (iv) Crops having the same pest should not follow each other. (v) Shallow-rooted crops follow deep-rooted crops. (vi) A legume must always be included in the rotation.
(d) Advantages of crop rotation are: (i) It maintains soil fertility (ii) It reduces the effect of pest and diseases. (iii) it also increases yield from the farm. (iv) it does help in controlling soil erosion (v) Where a leguminous crop is involved, it could help to conserve moisture in the soil. (vi) It reduces expenditure on fertilize helps in controlling weeds.
(e) Situations where crop rotation could be recommended for use are: (i) where land is limited in supply. (ii) A situation where the soil is exhausted of nutrients. (iii) where the population continues to increase (iv) where there is demand for different varieties of crops.