Home > Monoculture

1 Agriculture

In agriculture, the term monoculture is a term used to describe plantings of a single species. A major force in the increase of monoculture in modern agriculture has been the development of machinery for tilling, planting, pest control and harvesting, which is cheaper than human labor, and is considered more efficient at larger scales. Some uses of the term are considered pejorative.

Examples of monocultures include lawns and most field crops, such as wheat or corn. The term is nonspecific, so things such as large-scale confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) might be included.

The drawbacks and risks of excessive use of a single species are acknowledged and well understood in agriculture and agricultural science. Cropping systems such as crop rotation and especially pastures address some of these drawbacks.

Extensive monoculture of fruits, cucurbits, alfalfa seed and other crops tends to produce pollination problems, because pollinators cannot use all the resources available during bloom, and they may starve during the rest of the season. Such pollination problems are solved by pollination management.

Some native areas, such as climax forests, show remarkably little species biodiversity. These areas are the exception rather than the rule, however.

Monocultures are derided by the environmental movement both because of their susceptibility to disease and insects, and because of the large amount of chemical inputs often required to sustain them. The movement seeks to change popular culture by redefining the "perfect lawn" to be something other than a turf monoculture, and seeks agricultural policy that provides greater encouragement for more diverse cropping systems. Local foodLocal food (also regional food is a principle of sustainability relying on consumption of food products locally grown. It is part of the concept of local purchasing, a preference to buy locally produced goods and services. The concept is often related to systems may also encourage growing multiple species and a wide variety of crops at the same time and same place.

1.1 See also

• Main: companion plantingCompanion planting in gardening and agriculture is planting of different crops in close physical proximity. One traditional practice was planting of corn (maize) and pole beans together. The cornstalk would serve as a trellis for the beans to climb. The i, nurse cropIn agriculture, a nurse crop is an annual crop used to assist in establishment of a perennial. The widest use of nurse crops is in the establishment of legumaceous plants such as alfalfa, clover, and trefoil. Occasionally nurse crops are used for establis, managed intensive grazingManaged Intensive Grazing (MIG) is the practice of using rotational grazing and careful, usually daily, management to get optimal production. The technique is applied with herds of sheep, cattle, and occasionally other ruminants. The basis of MIG systems, agroecologyAgroecology is the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design, development, and management of sustainable agricultural systems. See also prescribed burn | dynamic equilibrium | shifting cultivation | safe site | vermicomposting |
• Agriculture: Agricultural policy, Agricultural productivityFor economists agricultural productivity is often assessed by measuring the production of an agricultural good (e. the yield of a food crop) and by estimating its value on the market thus knowing the potential for profits. However, for many farmers (and i, AgribusinessAgribusiness is a term that describes the business of farming. Some use the term in a negative connotation to the describe the practices of large corporate farmers. Many family farms are organized as corporations for business purpose, but the term "corpor, Green economics, Biodiversity, Increase biodiversity, Organic farming, Ecological health, Reforestation, Tree farm, Biopiracy, Pollinator decline, Pollination, Pollination management, Disease resistance in fruit and vegetables, Vegan, List of sustainable agriculture topics
• Examples Three Sisters