Growing one crop per field per year leaves a lot of potential on the table. Multiple cropping (also called multicropping) is the practice of growing more than one crop on the same piece of land in a single year – either at the same time, in sequence, or in carefully planned rotations.
Multiple cropping is any system that grows two or more crops on the same land in the same year. The main types are double cropping (two crops in sequence on the same plot in one year), intercropping (two or more crops growing together at the same time), relay cropping (planting the next crop before the current one is harvested), and sequential cropping (back-to-back crop cycles with no overlap).
Done well, multicropping lifts yield per acre, spreads weather and market risk, and builds healthier soil. Done badly, it drains nutrients, increases pest pressure, and wears out the land. This guide breaks down the types, the pros and cons, what to plant together, and when double cropping specifically is worth it on a US farm or homestead.