Monoculture & Polyculture: What's the Difference?
Most will remember the basic principles of the food web from highschool - plants are eaten by herbivores, which are then consumed by carnivores, which eventually die and provide nitrogen for plant growth, etc. What many people don't realise is that a similar mutually beneficial environment occurs botanically. Plants (in this case, those cultivated for human consumption) thrive in a biodiverse setting in which multiple crops are grown in the one area - the term given to this form of cultivation is rightly named Polyculture. The contrary to this is Monoculture, which became more widely used after the rise of the 'Green Revolution' in the name of efficiency.
Monoculture's Uses and Effects
The Green Revolution started in the 1940s in an attempt to industrialise food production and increase efficiency in harvesting. This was when synthetic pesticides started being widely used on hybridized plants, arranged in crops with no other types of plant to make for quicker harvesting. The link between exposure and consumption of treated foods and poor health goes without saying; a simple google search will show a plethora of information on the topic. The other downfall of monoculture is that the plants don't receive the same amount of minerals for growth and are often nutritionally deficient, and contain far less nutritional value than their traditional counterpart. The problems caused by this mass-production of crops could be solved by avoiding foods grown in monocultural crops.
Polyculture and the Benefits of Biodiversity in Food Cultivation
Plants naturally thrive in a biodiverse environment due to the mutually beneficial relationship they have with other plants. This has been used successfully in numerous traditional cultures, for example, in pre-modern Indian cultivation, farmers often included a combination of tomatoes, onions and marigold in crops (this is called "Multicropping"). The marigold and onion would act as a natural repellent against majority of insects that fed on the delicate flesh of the tomato. Another study shows that rice grown in polycultures had a higher yield of 89% with a 94% decrease in disease spread. One of the most important reasons that polycultures are superior is due to the higher nutrient content. Constant leaf fall from a greater abundance of plants provides a nutrient-dense soil composition; this nourishes the crops and gives them a far greater nutritional value than the latter.
So, with less disease, lesser-to--no need for pesticides, higher nutritional value, less soil erosion, it's clear that polycultures would not only assist us in living healthier lives, but would also be kinder to the environment with less waste and spoilage. The next question most would ask is "How do I know the produce I'm buying has been grown in polycultures?". The answer is simple. The only way to know what is going into your food is to know where your food is coming from. Always buy from locally grown, fresh, organic sources when possible and build a rapport with the suppliers providing you with this produce.
In Radness & Health,
Rhys Choake
Food for Thought - Further Reading Material:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6X-3RH6GTP-V&_user=10&_coverDate=06%2F30%2F1997&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1655807159&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=685f396779f9b89eebc70f8d100356bf&searchtype=a
http://www.new-ag.info/01-1/perspect.html
http://www.mindfully.org/GE/Rice-Diversity-Yield.htm
http://true-progress.com/monoculture-vs-polyculture-farming-methods-84.htm
http://www.foodforest.com.au/Agroecological%20analysis%20of%20a%20polyculture%20food%20garden%20on%20the%20Adelaide%20Plains.pdf
In radness and WASSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPP
ReplyDeletenice one shane :)
ReplyDeletemore info on it please :)
Nice info Shane-o, the links were an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteBut you know me always got questions, so here goes
Where is the line between poly and Mono ? How diversifed does the crop need to be to become polyculture?
If you look at most local farms, I would class them as monocultured crops,esp seasonal crops. Classic examples are the orchards around the areas, single species planted to a minimum spacing - maximum yeild/m2. This can also be seen by the rows of the same vege crops grown in the small market garden.
The only poly [permaculture] type gardening [my POV] would be a backyard gardener, who by the need for variety would plant different crops, in the same garden.
Would find this hard to setup on a commercial scale.
From the example of the Rice - they lost 6 rows of rice in each of the sample plots, and then another 2 of a lower grade rice.
Q2 What about genetically modified pest resistant species?
Hey Browney,
ReplyDeleteMate I absolutely love you enthusiasm and questions! They are good for both you, me and everyone reading.
Hopefully I can help clear some things up.
For a a crop to be considered a polycuture, it needs multiple, (more then one) species of plants etc this allows it to reap the positive effects
Monoculture is considered, mono when it's the only one of it's species being planted in a set area.
How diverse? As diverse as needs to be for the crop to be sustainable, protect it against the elements and help create some nutrient dense soil.
Most local farmers do employ a monoculture set up on their farms. The also spray from seed to sale... which they are forced to do. Healthy soil and healthy plants don't need to be sprayed.
Like humans, healthy people don't NEED chemical drugs to fix us or stop us from infections because our bodies and surrounds help us against the odds.
That being said, make sure you know where your food comes from. I buy from mamre rd farm in St marys (havent been for a while) but they have a organic famr that is polyculture based and had been their for longer then 3 years which is the gestational period required for soil to be certified. I can take you there one day if you like?
What about genetically modified species, like soy etc? In my opinion, stay away at all costs. If mother nature intended these plants etc to be that way, then she would have done so. Mother nature does not create a flawed program.
Man made problems are our biggest problems.
Hope I have helped. This is an area I'm getting into more and more. One day I wish to become completely reliable on my own crops :)
Shane,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reply.
On the other side of the coin, Genetically Modified plants are just acceleration of evolution.
Evolution is a refinment of the plant/animal making it adapt the current environment, ie be becoming more drought resistant, tolerant to disease and pests.
Would you consider grafting of citrus trees onto strong root-stock GM?