|
Rice-fish System
A rice-fish system is a polyculture practice that integrates rice agriculture with aquaculture, most commonly with freshwater fish. This practice is highly valued as it was one of the first to be considered as a “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System” according to FAO-GEF (Global Environment Facility).Lu, J., & Li, X. (2006). Review of rice–fish-farming systems in China—one of the globally important ingenious agricultural heritage systems (GIAHS). Aquaculture, 260(1-4), 106-113. It is based on a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship between rice and fish that is developed when introduced into the same ecosystem. Many benefits, including social, economic and environmental come with these systems. History Cultivating rice and fish simultaneously is a practice thought to be over 2,000 years old. Ancient clay models of rice fields containing miniature pieces, and more specifically miniature pieces of fish such as the common carp, have been found in China.Renkui ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polyculture
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. Polyculture can improve control of some pests, weeds, and diseases while reducing the need for pesticides. Intercrops of legumes with non-legumes can increase yields on low-nitrogen soils due to biological nitrogen fixation. However, polyculture can reduce crop yields due to competition between the mixed species for light, water, or nutrients. It complicates management as species have different growth rates, days to maturity, and harvest requirements: monoculture is more amenable to mechanisation. For these reasons, many farmers in large-scale agriculture continue to rely on monoculture and use crop rotation to add diversity to the system. Other forms of polyculture can be fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
