Question

Which of the following is a food-fodder mixed farming system?
           (A) growing food crops alone.
           (B) growing fodder crops alone.
           (C) growing crops which can be used as food and fodder by using more fertilizers.
           (D) growing food crops and fodder crops in the same field.

Answer 1

Hint:
Mixed farming exists in many forms depending upon external or internal factors. External factors are weather patterns, market prices, political stability, technological development,etc. Internal factors relate to local soil characteristics, composition of the family and farmer’s ingenuity.

Complete step by step answer:

Growing food crops and crops is a food fodder mixed farming system.
There is wide variation in mixed systems. Even pastoralists practise a form of mixed farming since their livelihood depends on the management of different feed resources and animal species. At a very higher level, a region can consist of individual specialized farms and service systems that together act as a mixed system. The choice of mixed farming is not always a sign of improvement of the situation. The study of a wide variety of mixed systems at different levels is beneficial to understand the logic of mixed systems in general. This type of farming is practised across Asia and in countries such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Afghanistan, china, Russia, etc. The grass is an important crop of a mixed farming system, occupying at least 20% of the cultivated land.
In this agricultural system, a farmer grows different crops like oat, sorghum to increase the income.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D). Growing food crops and fodder crops in the same field.

Note:
Mixed farming increases the level of nutrition. Ensures greater food security and also allows farmers to grow fodder for animals in addition to crops and also used as a source for water conservation. It also provides farmers with multiple sources of income. It also gives some insurance against failure of one of the crops.