What Is Multiple Cropping? Types, Data and a Calculator

Multiple cropping means growing more than one crop on the same piece of land in a year. The crops can follow each other (a winter wheat harvest, then soybeans) or share the field at the same time (maize with a legume). Researchers who mapped it worldwide count it when a field is harvested more than once a year, and, using crop data from around the year 2000, they found it on about 135 million hectares, 12% of global cropland (Waha et al., Global Environmental Change, 2020).

This guide explains what multiple cropping is, the five main types, how common it is in the US and worldwide, and what the evidence says about yield, soil and pests. It also has a land equivalent ratio calculator, so you can test your own numbers before you change a field.

What is multiple cropping? Definition and the five main types

Multiple cropping is a family of systems, not one practice. The word “multiple” can mean several crops in time (one after another in the same year) or in space (together in the same field). The older name “polyculture” is used loosely for the second case, so this guide uses the more exact terms below.

The USDA Economic Research Service defines double cropping as the harvest of two crops from the same field in one year, and treats it as a way to raise output without adding acres (USDA ERS, 2014). Ohio State University Extension describes relay intercropping as the option when double cropping is not practical (Ohio State Extension, AGF-0504, February 2025). Our overview of other methods of farming shows where these systems sit among wider farm practices.

Multiple cropping vs crop rotation and monocropping

These terms get mixed up, so here is the difference in one line each.

• Monocropping: the same single crop on a field, season after season.
• Crop rotation: different crops in different years on the same field, one crop at a time in each season.
• Multiple cropping: more than one crop within the same year, in sequence or together.

You can combine them. A farm can double crop wheat and soybeans every year and still rotate the field into maize in year three. Sources differ on the time frame: some say “a single growing season”, others “a year”. Intercropping and mixed cropping share one season, while sequential and double cropping use two seasons, so “within a year” is the safer wording.

Rotation has its own evidence. In a long-term USDA Agricultural Research Service trial in eastern Nebraska, fertilized corn yielded 29% more in a two-year rotation than in continuous corn, and up to 48% more in a four-year rotation that included a legume cover crop (Nebraska CropWatch, October 2021). The same trial found that rotation cut crop losses during drought by 14% to 90% compared with continuous cropping. That is one site on rain-fed, no-till land, so treat it as an example and not a forecast for your farm.

How common is multiple cropping?

It covers a small share of US cropland. USDA ERS found that double cropping took place on about 2% of total US cropland in most years from 1999 to 2012. In 2012 that was about 8.7 million acres (2.2%), compared with an average of 8.2 million acres over the period (USDA ERS, EIB-125, May 2014).

Chart

US double-cropped acres, selected years

Million acres of double-cropped cropland, 1999-2012 series

The acreage moves with prices. ERS reports a peak of 10.9 million acres in 2008, when soybean, winter wheat and corn prices also peaked, and a low of 5.5 million acres in 2010 (USDA ERS, June 2014; the 2010 low and the soybean shares below are from EIB-125, May 2014). That report found that soybeans were in 83% of double-cropped acres in the Southeast on average, against 56% in the Midwest and 49% in the Northeast.

It also varies by region. The Southeast and the Midwest lead in total double-cropped acres. Relative to their cropland, the Northeast had the largest share (nearly 10% on average) and the Northern Plains the smallest (under 0.5%) over 1999 to 2012 (USDA ERS, 2014). Growing season length, policy and prices all play a part.

Newer ERS work looks at fields rather than total acres. On cotton fields, the share of acres under either double cropping or cover cropping rose from 15% in 2003 to 32% in 2019, and the decline in single cropping was largely driven by cover crops (USDA ERS, April 2026).

Worldwide, the picture is different. The Waha team, using crop data from around 2000, found multiple cropping on 34% of rice area, 13% of wheat area and 10% of maize area, and estimated that harvesting single-cropped land a second time could add 87 to 395 million hectares of harvested area. Their maps cover sequential systems, not intercropping. About a third of the multiple cropping area sits in East Asia (44.1 million hectares, 34%), and 86% of it is in low and lower-middle income countries.

Chart

Share of world crop area that is multiple cropped

Percent of area, sequential systems mapped from crop data around the year 2000 (1998 to 2002)

What multiple cropping does for yield and land use

The yield gain depends on how the crops share the field. A global meta-analysis of intercropping (Li et al., Nature Plants, 2020) found that both its high-input and low-input systems saved 16% to 29% of land and 19% to 36% of fertilizer, compared with growing the same crops alone under the same management. The larger gains came from maize paired with short-season cereals or legumes in multirow strips with high nutrient inputs (Li et al., Nature Plants, 2020).

Researchers measure this with the land equivalent ratio (LER). It adds up each crop’s yield in the mixture divided by its yield grown alone. A value above 1 means the mixture uses land better, and below 1 means a loss (Federer and Schwager, Cornell University). LER also ignores how long each crop occupies the land, so for relay and sequential systems a value above 1 can overstate the gain; the area time equivalency ratio (ATER) was proposed to add the time factor, though it has its own limits (Balasubramanian and Sekayange, Agronomy Journal, 1990). LER says nothing about money either. Use the calculator below to add prices.

A broad review of crop diversification overall, not multiple cropping alone, also found gains. Beillouin and colleagues pooled 95 meta-analyses and reported effects of +14% for crop production (a median), +24% for associated biodiversity, +11% for soil quality, +51% for water quality and +63% for pest and disease control across crop diversification strategies (Global Change Biology, 2021). The strategies include rotation, cover crops, agroforestry and intercropping, and results varied a lot between them, so do not read the figures as the effect of multiple cropping or of any one system.

Soil, pests and biodiversity

Different crops use different root depths and release different residues. In the Nebraska trial, soil organic carbon rose with rotation diversity, down to five feet, and the rotation effect on carbon was equal to or larger than the effect of fertilizer nitrogen. Legumes, such as the clover cover crop used there, added nitrogen that the next crop used. For the basics of carbon in soil, see our guide to soil organic carbon.

Pests and diseases are a second reason farmers diversify. Varied sequences can interrupt pests that feed on one crop. The review above reports a +63% effect for pest and disease control, but with wide spread between strategies. A pest that attacks both crops can still build up, and which pests you face depends on your region, so scout fields through the season. For a regional example of what to scout for, see common crop pests in Illinois. If you spray, follow the product label and local rules: a product registered for one crop in the mix may not be allowed on the other.

Cover crops are a related practice where the second crop is not harvested. USDA ERS put them on 1% to 2% of US cropland (6 to 7.7 million acres) in 2006 to 2011 survey data (EIB-125, May 2014), and the cotton figures above show them growing since. For a wider plan on soil and land care, see sustainable farming systems.

▶ Seven plain ways to support soil and water on a farm, including cover crops. · 4:34

Relay cropping closer up: wheat and soybeans in Ohio

Ohio State’s work gives a costed look at one system. In northwest Ohio, soybeans sown into standing wheat (relay) yielded 40% less than soybeans grown alone over a three-year experiment, while double-crop soybeans after wheat harvest yielded 66% less. Wheat in the relay system lost about 9% to 12% of its yield in field trials in three Ohio counties (Ohio State Extension, AGF-0504).

Chart

Partial return of six wheat and soybean systems in Ohio

US$ per acre after nutrient removal, 2022 prices and costs, northwest Ohio

The money picture is closer than yield suggests. At 2022 prices and costs, partial returns after nutrient removal ranged from $482 an acre (wheat only) to $820 an acre (wheat plus double-crop soybeans, with the straw sold). If the straw was not sold, the relay system came out ahead of the others. The chart shows the six systems. These are Ohio results from one three-year study at 2022 prices, not current prices.

Ohio State’s trials also used wider wheat rows (15 inches) to leave room for soybeans, which is part of why wheat yield dropped. Row width is a design choice to test on your own farm. The advice from the fact sheet is to plant soybeans into wheat at heading, aim for established soybeans at wheat harvest, and plant no later than early June because soybean potential drops after that. Check dates for your own county with your local extension office.

Which system fits your region?

Climate sets the first limit. The ERS data show double cropping is concentrated where seasons are long enough, with the Southeast averaging 2.7 million double-cropped acres a year and the Midwest 1.8 million over 1999 to 2012. In the Southeast, soybeans were in 75% to 91% of double-cropped acres each year, and ERS found that across the US winter wheat most often came before double-crop soybeans in 2012. In the Northeast the soybean share was 40% to 62%, so other crops filled a larger part of the double-cropped area.

Chart

Soybeans in double-cropped acres, by region

Percent of double-cropped acres that include soybeans, range across 1999-2012

Further north, the window closes. Ohio State says central and northern Ohio are near the limit for double cropping because wheat is harvested late and autumn frosts come early. That is where Ohio State suggests relay intercropping when double cropping is not practical. In dry regions the limit is water, not days: a second crop needs stored soil moisture or irrigation, and irrigation rules differ by state and province.

For farm-level planning ideas, see our guides to sustainable land management and precision farming for crop production.

Think about labor and machinery too. Intercropping in strips needs planters and combines that fit the strip width. Relay planting needs a planter that can run through standing wheat without damaging it. If you hire custom operators, book them early, because the planting window for the second crop is short.

Challenges and how to manage them

• More management. Each crop has its own planting, spraying and harvest dates. Write a calendar for the whole year before you plant.
• Competition. Crops in the same row compete for light, water and nitrogen. Row spacing, strips and planting date all change the balance, and the Ohio numbers show the second crop can lose a lot of yield.
• Equipment. Planters, sprayers and combines may need changes for strips or relay planting. Custom operators can cover gaps.
• Short seasons. Double cropping needs enough days and moisture after the first harvest. Ohio State notes that central and northern Ohio are near the limit where it is practical.
• Markets and insurance. Check that a buyer exists for both crops, and ask your crop insurance agent how a second crop is covered. Rules differ by crop and county.
• Chemical limits. Herbicide, insecticide and fungicide labels list the crops they may be used on. Follow the label and local rules, and ask your adviser before spraying a mixed stand.

How to start: a step-by-step plan

1. Pick one field and one system. Start with the simplest one for your area, such as a winter cereal followed by soybeans in the South and Midwest, or relay planting where seasons are short.
2. Check the calendar. Count the frost-free days and the soil moisture left after the first harvest.
3. Choose compatible crops. Match their heights, water needs and herbicide labels.
4. Run the numbers. Use the calculator below with your own yields and prices.
5. Keep a control strip. Grow a strip of each crop alone so you can compute your own LER at harvest.
6. Record and adjust. Note planting dates, yields and costs for each crop, and change one thing at a time.

▶ Six plain steps to start precision farming, from field maps to satellite monitoring. · 4:18

Watching several crops with satellite images

Fields with two crops are harder to scout. Satellite vegetation maps (NDVI) show how plant cover changes across a field, so a weak patch in one strip or a late second crop can show up before it is obvious from the road. They show that something is different, not why, so walk the spot to find the cause. The Farmonaut Satellite + AI Farm Monitoring System offers this kind of field view.

Developers who want satellite and weather data in their own tools can see the API and the API developer docs.

▶ How NDVI satellite maps show crop stress across a large farm before it is visible from the ground. · 4:09

Land equivalent ratio calculator

Enter the yield of each crop when grown alone and when grown together, plus your prices. The default numbers are examples that give an LER of about 1.0, which is break-even for land use. They are not benchmarks.

Try the numbers for your own farm below.

FAQ

What is multiple cropping in simple terms?

It is growing more than one crop on the same land within a year, either one after another or together. Researchers who map it count a field as multiple cropped when it is harvested more than once a year.

What is the difference between multiple cropping and crop rotation?

Rotation changes the crop from year to year. Multiple cropping puts more than one crop on a field within a single year. Many farms use both.

How much of US cropland is double cropped?

USDA ERS estimated about 2% of cropland in most years from 1999 to 2012, and 8.7 million acres in 2012. The Northeast had the largest regional share (nearly 10% on average).

Does intercropping really save land?

In a global meta-analysis, intercropping saved 16% to 29% of land compared with growing the same crops alone. Results depend on the crops, the fertilizer level and the layout, and some mixtures do worse than separate crops.

Is multiple cropping right for every farm?

No. It needs enough season length, moisture, suitable equipment and a market for each crop. Test on one field and compare against a control strip before you scale up.

Related pages on our site: calcareous soil management, methods of farming, vertical farming lighting.