When and where did cropping systems originate?

Dr Abe V Rotor

Diversified farming involves proper crop integration which needs intensive labor and innovative technology 

Japan and China are pioneers in evolving cropping patterns suitable for different areas, with priority in rice and corn as the base around which are built specific cropping patterns. Here in the Philippines multiple cropping has its own historical background. Here are the most popular cropping patterns:

1. Rice-sweet potato (Banawe, 3000years old)
2. Rice-tobacco (Ilocos region, 15th century)
3. Rice-watermelon/melon (Candaba, Pampanga, 1900)
4. Onion-cabbage-rice (Nueva Ecija, 1930)
5. Rice-onion and rice-garlic (Ilocos region, 1920)

Multi-storied cropping is known to be existing in Batangas and Cavite even before the coming of the Spaniards. Today, such system includes the simultaneous growing of crops in a given area. These include papaya, citrus, coconut, coffee, cacao, coconut, vegetables and root crops. Multiple cropping is applicable the lowlands, uplands, sugarlands and coconut areas. Generally, multiple cropping schemes are crop rotation, inter-cropping and relay cropping, while it allows wide treatment of diversification and integrated farming. ~