The system of agriculture which combines the growing of crops and rearing of animals is known as

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the system of agriculture that combines two activities: growing crops and rearing animals.

Step 2: Explain the concept Farming systems are named according to what the farmer does:

• Dairy farming: keeping cattle (or other animals) mainly for milk and milk products.
• Mixed cropping: growing two or more crops together on the same piece of land (for example, maize and cassava). It involves crops only, with no animals.
• Mixed farming: growing crops and rearing livestock on the same farm. The two activities support each other. Animal droppings fertilize the crops, and crop residues feed the animals.
• Shifting cultivation: farmers clear a piece of land, cultivate it until the soil loses fertility, then move to a new plot and leave the old one to fallow.

Step 3: Apply to the question The key phrase is "combines the growing of crops and rearing of animals." Only mixed farming covers both crops and livestock.

• A is wrong because it involves animals only.
• B is wrong because it involves crops only. This is the common trap, since "mixed cropping" sounds similar.
• D is wrong because it is about moving from one plot to another, not about combining crops and animals.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is C. mixed farming.

Exam tip: Look at the last word. "Cropping" means crops only, while "farming" is the broader term that can include animals. Mixed cropping = crops only, mixed farming = crops + animals.