Monoculture is a form of farming that developed thousands of years ago. When the country was exhausted, people moved on. This is no longer possible today, which is why other solutions are necessary. But the world has become dependent.

For monocultures, a lot of pesticides have to be applied

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Monoculture - Definition
  3. monoculture in the forest
  4. monoculture in agriculture
  5. Monoculture in the garden
  6. frequently asked Questions

    7. the essentials in brief

    • Monoculture refers to the cultivation of only one type of plant. It differs from crop rotation and mixed cultivation. Their disadvantages outweigh their advantages.
    • Monocultures are common in agriculture and forestry. Typical examples are spruce forests, palm oil plantations or corn fields.
    • Pure cultivation is also often practiced in your own garden. Because of the numerous negative effects, the mixed culture is becoming increasingly important. It can be designed with vegetables and herbs.

    What does monoculture mean?

    Monoculture derives from the Greek terms monos for "alone" and cultura for "cultivation" or "cultivation". It describes cultivation in which a crop species is cultivated on an area for several years. This form of management, also known as pure culture, is used in agriculture, forestry and horticulture. The advantages of this method are simplified care and high yields.

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    Crop rotation, mixed culture or monoculture?

    The opposite of monoculture is mixed culture. This form of cultivation is also referred to as mixed crop rotation, because according to its definition, different crops are cultivated simultaneously and one after the other on one area. Although the maintenance effort and harvest logistics are significantly higher than in monocultures, mixed cultivation is intended to compensate for the disadvantages of pure culture.

    Advantages of mixed culture:

    • synergy: Plants protect each other from pests or provide nutrients
    • shading: Higher-growing plants ensure a humid microclimate in the lower area due to leaf mass
    • protection: Soil is continuously protected from erosion by wind and rain
    • validation: a total crop failure is avoided

    Crop rotation is another opposite of monoculture, in which an area is cultivated with changing crops. The aim is to ensure as much versatility as possible. Crop types that are not compatible with each other are cultivated separately in terms of time and space. While crop rotation can be understood as a field economy, monoculture is a one-field economy. Typical crops for crop rotation are rapeseed, turnips and potatoes. In the case of these crops, the pest pressure in the pure culture is too high and the harvest can no longer be secured.

    Does monoculture bring disadvantages?

    Monocultures are completely unnatural and very susceptible to diseases and pests

    The fact that clean economy is still practiced lies in the advantages. This form does not require a fleet of different special machines, but the same machines can always be used. This routine also extends to marketing structures. Special knowledge in the area of a cultivated crop is sufficient to achieve the greatest possible crop yield.

    Negative side of pure culture:

    • no optimal use of light and water
    • Synergy effects do not come into play
    • increased susceptibility to pests and diseases
    • Soil experiences a one-sided nutrient depletion
    • more fertilizers and pesticides required

    monoculture in the forest

    Nature strives for mixed cultures. No natural forest is home to just one plant species, but is a mosaic of coordinated organisms. Numerous animal species find a habitat in this ecosystem. Mixed forests have a mitigating effect on climate change because they store carbon dioxide over a longer period of time. This diverse space makes sense not only from an ecological point of view.

    Nevertheless, numerous forests are characterized by monocultures. Spruce and other fast-growing conifers are still cultivated in pure culture today. They guarantee an optimal supply of the paper industry and wood processing plants with the raw material wood.

    Problems from the past:

    • massive damage from wind damage in 2007 and 2022
    • extreme spread of the bark beetle from 2016 to 2022
    • increasing acidification of the soil by needles, so that liming has to be carried out

    background

    Monocultures do not bring the desired profit

    Studies by the University of Freiburg and the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research have shown that mixed cultures are more productive than pure cultures. Mixed stands with five different species produce around 50 percent more wood than monocultures. This aspect is based on improved synergy effects. The trees, which grow at different heights, are optimally supplied with light. Different root systems ensure improved utilization of the available nutrients. Mixed cultures prove to be more resistant to pests and cope better with years of drought.

    Example Germany

    Monocultures were also preferred in forestry for a long time

    The spruce would not occur naturally at the current locations of spruce forests. It is a type of wood that only occurs naturally at altitudes of 500 meters and forms gaps in the forest that is rich in species. Instead, the locations of the spruce forests would be characterized by mixed forests with a high proportion of beech.

    Due to the numerous problems and the increasing soil degradation, modern forestry is increasingly converting pure cultures into site-compatible mixed cultures. In the last few decades, the stock of deciduous trees has increased by seven percent and the proportion of conifers has fallen by four percent. Deciduous trees make up about 43 percent of wood flooring today.

    rainforest

    In order to cover the high demand for palm oil, a strict monoculture is pursued in the tropical rain forests of Malaysia and Borneo. On these areas, oil palms stand in rows next to each other. Numerous animal and plant species are losing their habitat. But the negative consequences for these ecosystems are already evident during the preparations for cultivation.

    Valuable rainforest areas are increasingly being cleared by fire. This measure releases greenhouse gases in large quantities and the soil then has to be prepared with artificial fertilizers and pesticides. The extreme rainfall in the tropics ensures that the chemical substances are washed out of the soil and washed into the water. This also pollutes the surrounding ecosystems.

    Using alternative vegetable oils exacerbates the problem of rainforest destruction. It is more important that no more rainforest is converted into new plantations.

    monoculture in agriculture

    In Asian there are soybean fields that stretch to the horizon

    Modern farms have specialized in growing fewer crops. This form of farming seems more attractive to many farmers, as they join together in cooperatives and increase efficiency through joint marketing strategies. The limited availability of arable land and at the same time a high demand for certain products favor monocultures.

    Typical growing areas method effects problems
    soy Asia, South America large-scale deforestation Biodiversity is declining increased demand encourages use of genetically modified crops
    bananas South America, India slash-and-burn tropical rainforests Habitat destruction, displacement of villages Fungal disease is destroying stocks worldwide
    Corn Germany Cultivation on arable land and meadows maize of the landscape increasing butterfly mortality
    cotton USA, India, China Cultivation on agricultural land, additional areas through forest clearing increased demand leads to intensification of production extreme water loss

    Consequences of pure agricultural culture

    If the same plant species are repeatedly cultivated on an area, pests and pathogens will find better living conditions. The plants are more prone to root infections. They can no longer optimally absorb nutrients from the soil, so that their growth is negatively affected. This encourages the emergence of weeds, many of which are difficult to control. Farmers have to react to these phenomena. They use pesticides to control pests and kill weeds. In order for the crops to grow better, additional fertilizers are applied.

    A look into history

    Rice cultivation requires a lot of water

    Historically, wet rice cultivation in Asia is the most widespread form of agricultural monoculture. From a biological point of view, rice is not actually an aquatic plant. But around 3,000 B.C. people realized that this cultivation method suppressed pests and weeds. Through breeding over centuries, rice has developed into a water-tolerant plant. The roots form a special ventilation system so that the plants can cope with higher water levels.

    problems

    Between 3,000 and 5,000 liters of water are needed to produce one kilogram of rice. Due to the massive impact on the groundwater level, wet rice cultivation is prohibited in the Beijing area. Algae formation increases in standing water. Therefore, the water in the plantations must be in constant motion.

    Flow rates that are too high cause the soil to be eroded. By constantly flooding the fields, an oxygen-free environment is created in the soil. Organisms that produce methane as part of metabolic processes live here. About 25 percent of global methane production is due to wet rice cultivation.

    Monoculture in your own garden

    In the home garden, the pure culture is part of common practice. Often only one type of plant is planted on a bed. In the worst case, potatoes grow in the same place for many years. As a result, garden owners promise less maintenance, because the bed is harvested at one point in the year. It is enough to acquire special knowledge about this plant and a few devices allow you to work as efficiently as possible. However, the basic principle of a near-natural garden is mixed cultivation.

    More quality through mixed cultivation:

    • different plant species ensure a natural balance
    • Pests and beneficial insects keep each other in check
    • Flower splendor extends over different seasons

    Companion plants in the bed

    Take a closer look at the supposed weeds on the potato bed. Many of them have a valuable use and ensure that the bed is transformed into a functioning ecosystem. Flowering plants attract butterflies or insects whose caterpillars feed on insect pests. Intensely scented herbs scare off pests with their essential oils. Legumes act as a natural fertilizer because they bind atmospheric nitrogen in the soil.

    tips

    Pay particular attention to chickweed, clover or stinging nettles. These plants improve the bed habitat and are edible at the same time.

    Well thought-out combinations

    Strawberries and chives are ideal plant neighbors

    Strawberries thrive better in the vicinity of chives. This herb is rich in essential oils that prevent gray mold on strawberries. Borage ensures better pollination because the flowers attract wild bees, bumblebees and insects.

    The deep-rooted chard goes perfectly with radicchio, radishes or chervil. These plants cover their water needs from the upper layers of the soil. If you do not feel like separating carrots after sowing, you should mix the seeds with seeds of black cumin and chamomile. The coarse seeds ensure that the root vegetables are not sown too densely.

    tips

    Create a mixed culture table. In this way, you can keep track of things all year round and cultivate effective crop rotations.

    frequently asked Questions

    What are the economic risks of a monoculture?

    When a farm engages in monoculture, it becomes heavily dependent on the market and prevailing prices. On the one hand, forgoing the cultivation of other crops can bring in a high return. If unforeseeable catastrophes occur, the worst case scenario is economic bankruptcy. At the national level, the supply of agriculturally produced products is severely reduced. Many countries are dependent on the demand for a product. They achieve large overall export shares with products that have their origin in monocultures:

    • Mauritius: Sugar and rum account for up to 90 percent
    • Cuba: generates up to 83 percent from cane sugar
    • Ghana: Cocoa accounts for 76 percent
    • Colombia: Coffee accounts for 66 percent of all export earnings

    What are the ecological consequences of pure culture?

    The soil fauna and humus content are negatively affected by the one-sided cultivation. The soil's nutrient balance is thrown off balance and weeds, pests and pathogens find optimal living conditions. Even before the harvest begins, pests can destroy up to 50 percent of the yield. In a monotonous plant population, the diversity of animals is declining, so that the natural opponents of harmful insects are missing. Monocultures increasingly lead to soil erosion.

    Where are monocultures typical?

    In Central Europe, monocultures for wine and fruit growing farms or purely grassland farms are characteristic. Germany is dominated by pure cultures in areas where large-scale land consolidation has been carried out. In agricultural areas, corn, rapeseed or grain crops in their pure form are common. In forestry, the trend in recent decades has been towards mixed forms.

    What are the basic considerations of a mixed culture?

    It doesn't make sense to put crops from one family in the immediate vicinity. The plants are often affected by the same pests and diseases. With this variant, which falls under the cultivation form of mixed culture, the positive aspects cannot develop. The more diverse the plants are, the better the distribution of tasks and the better the ecosystem develops. Shallow roots and taproots use the resources in a bed optimally, because their root systems are active in different soil horizons.

    Which mixed cultures have proven themselves?

    Even the Maya grew pumpkins in the immediate vicinity of corn and beans. But cabbage also proves to be a good substitute for the pumpkin in this mixture. Lentils thrive in a grain bed because they find a good climbing aid here. Carrots benefit from the proximity of onions because they prevent pests. Different types of lettuce and lettuce also get along well.

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Vegetable garden