Home › MCQs › Agronomy › Question #2069
Back to Questions
Agronomy QUESTION #2069
Question 1
The competition between component crops in intercropping systems is best quantified using the Competitive Ratio (CR), where \(CR_A > 1\) indicates that:
  • Crop A is producing lower yield than crop B in the intercrop
  • Crop A is more competitive than crop B — it acquires a greater share of the growth resources (light, water, nutrients) relative to its share in sole cropping, usually at the expense of crop B✔️
  • The intercropping system has a LER greater than 1
  • Both crops are equally competitive and the system is in equilibrium
Correct Answer Explanation
Competitive Ratio \(CR_A = \dfrac{LER_A}{LER_B} \times \dfrac{Z_B}{Z_A}\), where \(Z\) is the proportion of each crop in the mixture. \(CR_A > 1\) means Crop A acquires more than its proportional share of resources. Managing CR guides choice of species combinations, row arrangements, and relative densities to reduce dominance of one component and improve overall system productivity.