The ill effects of composite farming

Abstract

Composite farming is a method of cultivation in which many layers of many crops are grown together such that no stretch of land remains uncultivated. Cultivation takes place in horizontal and vertical layers. Composite farming is practiced in various places where different kinds of crops are often grown alongside water bodies where cultivation of fish is also carried out. Composite farming is carried out in order to maximize agricultural productivity in different parts of India. In this investigation, a field in the outskirts of Cuttack was selected where both horizontal and vertical layers have been denoted with occasional weed plant infestation. Certain low lying areas have been used for culturing of fishes. Brassica juncea was grown as a common oil yielding plant which was contaminated by Pseudomonas syringae obtained from common weed Solanum nigrum. Simultaneously, Gram-negative coccobacilli were also isolated from Brassica juncea. Both the bacteria independently infected the host plant without any interaction. The percentage of infection in the diseased leaf sample was calculated to be 20%. Antibiotic sensitivity was tested for both Pseudomonas syringae and the coccobacilli and the antibiotics to which both showed maximum sensitivity were observed to be Tetracycline and Azithromycin. Thus, it can be concluded that in order to get high yield of oil, weed control and antibiotic dusting is necessary.