Previous Year Question
Which of the following is the chief characteristic of ‘mixed farming’?
Cultivation of both cash crops and food crops
Cultivation of two or more crops in the same field
Rearing of animals and cultivation of crops together
None of the above
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Mixed farming is an agricultural system in which crop production and livestock rearing are integrated on the same farm or agricultural unit.
Option (a)—Incorrect
Both cash crops and food crops may be cultivated on the same farm.
However, this does not necessarily include a livestock component.
Therefore, it is not the chief or defining characteristic of mixed farming.
Option (b)—Incorrect
Growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same field is generally described as mixed cropping.
If different crops are cultivated in a definite row arrangement, it may be described as intercropping.
These involve crop-crop combinations, whereas mixed farming involves crop-livestock integration.
Option (c)—Correct
Combining livestock rearing with crop production is the defining characteristic of mixed farming.
Cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats or poultry may be combined with the production of cereals, pulses, fodder or other crops.
Crop-livestock resource cycle
Crop straw, stalks, leaves and other residues may be used as livestock feed.
Dung and urine obtained from animals can be converted into manure or compost.
Animal manure returns organic matter and nutrients to the soil.
Draught animals may also provide power for tillage and transportation.
Thus, the by-product of one farm component becomes a resource for another component.
Major benefits of mixed farming
If crops fail, milk, eggs, meat or animal sales may provide an alternative source of income.
Farm households can obtain employment and income throughout the year.
The utilisation of crop residues reduces waste.
Animal manure can improve soil organic matter, soil structure and water-holding capacity.
Different agricultural enterprises diversify production and market risks.
Important qualification
Mixed farming is sustainable only when livestock numbers, fodder availability, manure management and the removal of crop residues remain balanced. Overgrazing or removing all crop residues from fields can adversely affect soil fertility and conservation.