FOOD TECHNOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -In agriculture, polyculture is the practice of growing more than one crop species in the same space, at the same time. In doing this, polyculture attempts to mimic the diversity of natural ecosystems. Polyculture is the opposite of monoculture, in which only one plant or animal species is cultivated together.

Detailed explanation-2: -Using polycultures or intercropping is an agricultural practice that mimics, to some degree, the belowground heterogeneity of natural systems.

Detailed explanation-3: -Often the terms polyculture and intercropping are used interchangeably. However, polyculture is a broader term since it can include not only crop plants but even weeds, nursery and insectary plants, windbreaks, or hedgerows that may be intentionally included in the farming system.

Detailed explanation-4: -Monoculture farming is a form of agriculture that is based on growing only one type of a crop at one time on a specific field. In contrast, a polyculture system assumes that a field is sown with two or more crops at a time.

Detailed explanation-5: -Polycultures are two or more useful plants grown on the same plot, usually at the same time. From an ecological perspective, they try to mimic natural cycles. Like natural systems, they offer benefits, including reduced pest damage and soil conservation, even increasing crop yields per area compared to monocultures.