EXCERCISES On a large scale ................................................................................................ Encouraging ........................................................................................................ Humidity ................................................................................................................. Flow away .............................................................................................................. Line .............................................................................................................................. Absorption ........................................................................................................... Capturing and storage .............................................................................. Reduced .................................................................................................................. 4 Refer back to the text and find synonyms for these terms. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 5 Say if the sentences are true or false. Correct the false ones. Harvesting and threshing may be difficult with mixed cropping. ☐ T ☐ F Multiple cropping compromises soil health. ☐ T ☐ F Variety in crops increases local biodiversity, providing a habitat to more species. ☐ T ☐ F Multiple cropping accelerates soil erosion. ☐ T ☐ F Diverseness in the crops lessens the susceptibility to diseases and pests, thus also reducing the risk of total crop failure. ☐ T ☐ F Knowledge about multiple plant species being grown is not necessary. ☐ T ☐ F Multiple cropping requires less labour. ☐ T ☐ F Crash in profits of one crop will not cause total market loss. ☐ T ☐ F 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 6 Read the article and choose the correct heading for each paragraph. Data survey Sustainability of cropping systems Projections of population growth Positive implications for the environment Agriculture feeds the world Multiple cropping can help feed the world a. b. c. d. e. f. How to Feed the World The global population is increasing and is predicted to reach about 10 billion people by 2050. A solution to feeding and nourishing the world’s population is to produce more food while minimising the negative impacts of food production on the environment. A way to grow more food on the same piece of land is to practise multiple cropping, defined as growing multiple crops sequentially, within a year. Multiple cropping can increase production and income and has additional benefits: increased crop diversity, improved functioning of agricultural systems, spare land for biodiversity or other uses, and reduced application of inorganic fertilisers and pesticides. Researchers have found that 134 million hectares of land are under multiple cropping, which corresponds to 12% of global cropland. Multiple cropping mostly occurs in tropical and subtropical climates with a rainy season long enough or adequate irrigation to grow two or three crops in a sequence during a year. The majority of multiple cropping areas are located in East Asia and South Asia, and in the low middle-income countries. Multiple cropping systems in South Asia are mostly based on rice, with other crops grown after the rice has been harvested. Multiple cropping systems in Africa are based on maize, wheat, millet or sorghum. Some forms of multiple cropping can be beneficial for the environment, but others can be harmful. If multiple cropping is able to increase production on existing land, then land can be spared for biodiversity elsewhere. This is of great benefit for the environment. Multiple cropping is a useful strategy to help feed the world’s growing global population more sustainably. However, it can also have disadvantages such as increased risk of crop failure and risk of environmental degradation. Therefore, careful consideration of its benefits and disadvantages at local scales is needed prior to adoption. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Adapted from multiple-cropping-could-help-feed-the-world/ https://www.cgiar.org/news-events/news/ GLOSSARY : : : : cover crop coltura coprisuolo intercropping coltura consociata o promiscua mixed cropping consociazione mista relay cropping consociazione a staffetta