Approaches to estimation of Area Under Mixed (Intensive) Cropping Mukesh K. Srivastava FAO Statistics Division Roundtable, Samoa, March 2009

Concepts Strategies for getting maximum yield from a given land Crop rotation: Many short duration crops in a year (Intensive Agriculture), or Mixed cropping Associated crops (temporary + permanent crops together) Crop mixtures (combination of only temporary or only permanent crops)

Crop Rotation: Indicators Gross Cropped Area (GCA): counting the physical area of utilized land as many times as are the number of crops cultivated in a year. Facilitates estimation of area used by individual crops, even if same crop is grown twice or thrice a year. Net Cultivated Area (NCA): Only the physical area cultivated Indicator of land use = NCA/Operated area Cropping intensity = GCA/NCA together with cropping cycle, this indicator is used by agronomists to assess the sustainability of agriculture

Mixed cropping It is desirable to estimate the area utilized by each crop for food/nutritional security analysis to have information on cropping practices to assess sustainability of agriculture Statistical treatment: assign areas to individual crop on the basis of “What area the crop would have occupied if it were grown in pure stand?”

When to assign area: in field or in statistical office? Data processing stage: preferable, if standard cropping mixtures are being promoted by agricultural scientist or extension officers. standard cropping mixtures need to be notified as a “crop combination” as a single crop This approach does not loose information that is useful for planers. In the field: If many types of Non-Standard crop mixtures

Assigning area in the field itself Systematic plantation in rows eye estimation based on number of rows for each crops Irregular plantation based upon ratio of quantity of seed used for each crop Eye estimation based upon plant densities If too many crops, consult agronomists to develop national procedures

Key Message In the situations of subsistence type intensive agriculture, mixed cropping could pose a serious challenge to Census Planner Be aware of existence and nature of the issues since beginning of Survey Planning. Take care to evaluate options for assigning area at Pre-test and Pilot stage.

The floor is open to discuss specific situation in the countries which do not fit into the approaches outlined. Thank You!