What is monoculture?

Monoculture refers to the agricultural practice of growing a single crop variety in a given area for a consecutive number of seasons. This approach simplifies planting, harvesting, and managing crops since farmers focus on one type of plant, which can lead to increased yields and efficiency in the short term. However, monoculture can lead to a range of ecological issues, such as reduced biodiversity, increased vulnerability to pests and diseases, and soil depletion, as the same nutrients can be consistently depleted without the diverse nutrient contribution that various crops can provide.

The other options reflect concepts that diverge from monoculture. The first option describes a farming system that employs a diversity of crops, which contrasts with monoculture's single-crop method. The third option emphasizes increasing biodiversity, which is often the opposite goal of monoculture, as it focuses on planting numerous species rather than one. The fourth option refers to crop rotation, a practice that involves alternating different crops in a specific field across seasons, further promoting crop diversity and soil health.