Monoculture is the practice of producing or growing one single crop over a wide area. The term is also applied in several fields.
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Land use
The term is mostly used in agriculture and describes the practice of planting crops with the same patterns of growth resulting from genetic similarity. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Examples include Wheat fields or Apple orchards or Grape vineyards. These cultivars have uniform growing requirements and habits resulting in greater yields on less land because planting, maintenance (including pest control) and harvesting can be standardized. A cultivar is a cultivated Plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics it is usually distinct from similar This standardization results in less waste and loss from inefficient harvesting and planting. It also is beneficial because a crop can be tailor planted for a location that has special problems - like soil salt or drought or a short growing season.
Monoculture produces great yields by utilizing plants' abilities to maximize growth under less pressure from other species and more uniform plant structure. Uniform cultivars are able to better use available light and space, but also have a greater drain on soil nutrients. In the last 40 years modern practices such as monoculture planting and the use of synthesized fertilizers have greatly reduced the amount of land needed to produce much higher yielding crops. The success of monoculture cropping has produced a world wide surplus of food stuffs that has depressed crop prices that farms receive.
Forestry
In forestry, monoculture refers to the planting of one species of tree crop instead of encouraging a diverse canopy of trees. Forestry is the Art and Science of managing forests tree Plantations and related Natural resources. A diverse forest stimulates biodiversity by providing suitable habitat for different species. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. Some countries such as Scotland have programs in place to create incentives for landowners to plant native species broadleaf trees instead of non-native fast growing conifers. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.
Catastrophic crop failure
The dependence on monoculture crops can lead to large scale failures when the single genetic variant or cultivar becomes susceptible to a pathogen or when a change in weather patterns occur. A cultivar is a cultivated Plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics it is usually distinct from similar The Great Irish Famine (1845-1849) was caused by susceptibility of the potato to Phytophthora infestans. Phytophthora infestans is an Oomycete that causes the serious Potato disease known as late blight or potato blight. The wine industry in Europe was devastated by susceptibility to Phylloxera during the late 19th century. This article is about the grape phylloxera For the Genus, see Phylloxera (genus. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Each crop then had to be replaced by a new cultivar imported from another country that had used a different genetic variant that was not susceptible to the pathogen. A cultivar is a cultivated Plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics it is usually distinct from similar
Lawns and animals
Examples of monoculture include lawns and most field crops, such as wheat or corn. A lawn is an area of recreational or amenity land planted with grass, and sometimes Clover and other plants which are maintained at a low even height Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The term is also used where a single species of farm animal is raised in large-scale concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Factory farming is the practice of raising Farm animals in confinement at high stocking density where a farm operates as a Factory &mdash a practice typical in
Polyculture
The environmental 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. The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green movements is a diverse scientific social and Political movement for Agricultural policy describes a set of laws relating to domestic Agriculture and imports of foreign agricultural products Local food systems may also encourage growing multiple species and a wide variety of crops at the same time and same place. Local food (also regional food or food patriotism) or the local food movement is a "collaborative effort to build more locally based self-reliant Heirloom gardening has come about largely as a reaction against monocultures in agriculture. An heirloom plant, heirloom variety, or (especially in the UK) heirloom vegetable is a Cultivar that was commonly grown during earlier periods
See also
- Biodiversity
- Heirloom gardening
- Neglected crops
- Polyculture
- Seed bank
- Three Sisters
- Underutilized crops
External links
Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. An heirloom plant, heirloom variety, or (especially in the UK) heirloom vegetable is a Cultivar that was commonly grown during earlier periods Polyculture is agriculture using multiple crops in the same space in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems and avoiding large stands of single crops or Monoculture The Three Sisters are the three main agricultural crops of some Native American groups in North America: squash, Maize, and climbing Beans Underutilized crops are plants that are cultivated to a significantly smaller degree than they demonstrably could beDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic