Monoculture
What is Monoculture
Growing one type of crop at one time on a specific field
Farm animals and crops
Advantages of Monoculture
Increases productivity
Maximizes the efficient use of soil and local climate conditions
Opens room for new technologies
More time and money for new technologies and agricultural performances
Examples: drones, ground sensors
Easier to manage
Demands less efforts, knowledge and resources
Higher revenues
Growing a single kind of crop that is best suited to a specific environment = higher revenue
Higher profits
Disadvantages of Monoculture
Pests Management
Struggle with pest infestations
Due to lack of genetic diversity of plants
Example: parasites
Higher Pesticide Use
Intensify the use of pesticides
More likely to be affected by pests
Pests survive the chemicals and develop resistance to them
Decrease in Biodiversity
More varied species = stronger ecosystem in the area
Leads to crop diseases and excessive proliferation of pests
Economic Risks
Income is risky
Risk to lose all harvest at once if something goes wrong in one crop developement
Reducing Effects
Impact depends on intensity
Has the biggest impact on soil
More effective water use
Grow crops near water
Decreases use of ground water
Smart use of fertilizers
Effective use of fertilizers only where required
Implementation of Crop Rotation
Interrupts pest cycles
Contributes to maintaining the soil in a balanced state
Shifting Away from Monoculture
Disadvantages overweigh the advantages
Best alternative is POLYCULTURE
Example: constant alternation of different types of crops in the given farmlands
Inspiring initiatives such as "greening" or "green payment"