Refers to the farming practice done on a small area of land.

1. Crops are grown mainly for subsistence.
2. Land area is less than five hectares.
3. Mixed farming e.g. poultry, vegetable, beekeeping.
4. No mechanization because it entails use of manual or simple tools.
5. Contributes to development in rural areas.

1. Uneconomical to mechanize.
2. Low production.
3. Provides limited employment.
4. Difficult to specialize.

Refers to the farming practice on a large area of land, mainly for local and export market.

1. Requires large tracts of land.
2. Heavy capital investment.
3. Most of the work is mechanized.
4. Provides more employment.
5. Requires skilled and qualified man power.

• Ranching (large-scale animal rearing) e.g. large dairy farms, ADC farms and poultry farms.
• Plantation farming is the large-scale growing of one major crop e.g. tea plantations in Kericho, coffee plantations in Kiambu and Muranga, and sugar-cane plantations in Nyanza and Coast provinces.

It refers to the growing of crops for subsistence, export or both. Commonly done on high potential areas. The type of crops grown are determined by the ecological conditions.
Examples of arable farming practices are inter-cropping, mixed cropping and mono-cropping.

Is the growing of two or three crops in association e.g. maize, beans, and sisal. All crops are grown in the same garden at the same time.

1. Higher yields per unit area of land.
2. Provides soil cover hence erosion is reduced.
3. No total loss in case of outbreak of pests and diseases.
4. Supplementation of the nutrients in the soil when legumes are included.

1. Weed control becomes difficult e.g. use of machines in weeding and spraying.
2. Wastage of fertilisers i.e. it will not benefit all crops.
3. Harvesting is cumbersome.

Is the planting of different crops in different plots on the same farm e.g. annuals and perennials. All other aspects are similar to those of inter-cropping.

Is the establishment of a pure stand of one crop in a field, e.g. maize, tea and coffee.

1. Weeding is easy.
2. Control of pests and diseases is easy.
3. Proper utilization of fertilisers/manures.
4. Easy to harvest.

• Lack of soil cover.
• In case of disease/pest outbreak the entire crop will be wiped out, resulting in total loss.
• Requires constant application of fertilisers.
• Earnings are unpredictable due to market fluctuations.

Is the practice of growing crops and rearing livestock on the same farm. Common in high potential areas e.g. Central and Western provinces of Kenya.

1. Animals benefit from crop residues while crops benefit from animal wastes e.g. dung.
2. Sustains income throughout the year.
3. Ensures proper utilization of labour and land throughout the year.
4. The practice maintains soil fertility when legumes are included.
5. In case one enterprise fails, the farmer would depend on the other enterprises.

1. High initial capital outlay is required.
2. Lack of specialization.
3. Impracticable in unsuitable topography e.g. swampy areas.
4. Limited land area for each enterprise.
5. Inadequate technical knowhow and labour to run the enterprises.

This is a system which involves keeping of livestock and moving with them from one place to another in search of better pasture and water.

This is the practice of cultivating a piece of land until the soil is exhausted and crop yields decline. The land is abandoned and a fresh one opened for cultivation.