monoculture
One species only
Monoculture is the agricultural practice of growing a single crop over a large area, year after year.
This approach maximizes efficiency and yield for that one crop but depletes soil nutrients and makes fields vulnerable to pests and disease.
The term extends beyond farming to describe any system dominated by one thing at the expense of diversity: Critics worry that streaming algorithms create a monoculture of popular content.
A monoculture of thought suggests conformity that stifles innovation or dissent.
Cultivating one crop exclusively
- plantationLarge-scale farming operation
- cornCereal grown on cobs
- soybeansProtein-rich Asian legume
- wheatCereal crop for flour
rice · cotton · sugar-cane · tobacco · harvest · tillage · acreage · yield
State of sameness throughout
- samenessState of being identical
- conformityAdherence to norms
- standardizationImplementing uniform technical specifications
- monotonyTiresome lack of change
repetition · undiversified · invariability · consistency · indistinguishability · clone · identical · unvaried
Disorder impairing normal function
- pestsBothersome insects or animals
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- blightPlant disease causing decay
- fragilityEase of breaking
susceptibility · collapse · risk · epidemic · plague · infestation · famine · resistance
State of sameness throughout
State of needing support
- exportForeign-bound sale
- commodityFungible traded good
- specializationConcentrated expertise in one field
- boomtownRapidly growing community
monocropping
Cultivating one crop exclusively
- plantationLarge-scale farming operation
- cornCereal grown on cobs
- soybeansProtein-rich Asian legume
wheat · rice · cotton · sugar-cane · tobacco · harvest · tillage · acreage · yield · cropland
homogeneity
State of sameness throughout
- samenessState of being identical
- conformityAdherence to norms
- standardizationImplementing uniform technical specifications
monotony · repetition · undiversified · invariability · consistency · indistinguishability · clone · identical · unvaried
disease
Disorder impairing normal function
- pestsBothersome insects or animals
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- blightPlant disease causing decay
fragility · susceptibility · collapse · risk · epidemic · plague · infestation · famine · resistance · pathogen
homogeneity
State of sameness throughout
dependency
State of needing support
- exportForeign-bound sale
- commodityFungible traded good
- specializationConcentrated expertise in one field
- agriculturefarms, crops, farm, farmers, farming
- crop farmingharvesting, planting, tractors, fertilizing, fertilizer
- culturescounterculture, underground, bohemian, cultural norms, cultural sensitivity
- mono- wordsmonochrome, monocle, monogram, monolith, monorail
- agribusinessagribusiness, farm, farms, corporate farms, factory farming
- aquaculturefish farming, fish farms, aquaculture, salmon farming, shrimp farming
monoculturepolyculture
Multi-species crop system
intercropping · mixed farming · crop rotation · agroforestry · permaculture
monoculturebiodiversity
Range of life forms
polyculture · biological diversity · genetic diversity · species diversity · old-growth forest
monoculturemulticulturalism
Coexistence of diverse traditions
cultural diversity · pluralism · heterogeneity · diversity · cosmopolitanism