What is monoculture, and how has modern agriculture encouraged its spread?

Question

What is monoculture, and how has modern agriculture encouraged its spread?

Answer 1

Monoculture is the practic eof planting the same species of crop on the same land year after year, or the planting of the same species of crop in a local.  

Modern farm equipment, farm policy by governments, world markets and ag economics on a local level has made specialization easier, more profitable or even necessary in order to stay in business.

Answer 2

Monoculture is, as was mentioned, the growing of a single crop like a hectare of corn, or wheat, or a bluegrass lawn, etc. Modern agriculture though is starting to stress the importance of companion planting and crop rotation as a way to improve/ maintain the soil and cut down on pest and disease that is more prevalent in continuous monoculture. Amer-Indian tribes discovered long ago that companion planting "The Three Sisters" (maize, beans, and squash) created a better growing environment for the crops and provided a better balance of nutrients and availability of food during the season. Rotation and resting fields goes far back into antiquity and references are found in the earliest books of the Bible as law, meaning that the concept existed well before it's codification. There are more references that are found throughout history from all the first civilizations and their writings. It seems it was kind of lost in the rush to science and kind of rediscovered as having a valid basis in that (our) sciences. Will wonders never cease.