Jamaluddeen, K.Jacob, V.J.2014-09-192014-09-191983-06Journal of Plantation Crops 11(1): 39-46, June 1983http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/5855A method has been designed to study the architecture and development of crop canopies in a multi-species and multi-storeyed cropping systems involving thirteen different crop species. New terminologies such as apparent air space requirement (AASR), actual air space utilization (AASU), air space use efficiency (ASUE) and average exposed surface area (AESA) are introduced as useful parameters in quantifying canopies of crops and cropping systems. Coffee had the highest percentage increase in canopy diameter followed by mango while clove had the lowest increase. AASU and AESA showed considerable increase in all the mixed cropping combinations. In the case of crops such as nutmeg and clove, with initial small canopy and which grow at a slow pace to start with, it is possible to increase actual air space utilization and air space use efficiency considerably through mixed cropping.enStudies on Canopy Architecture in a Multi-Species Cropping SystemArticle