Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label What are the advantages and disadvantages of crop rotation

Importance of Crop Rotation

To be a successful farmer one must first know the nature of the soil - Xenophon, ancient Greek philosopher and historian, student of Socrates, Circa 430 - 354 BC. Crop rotation is the practice of planting different crops sequentially on the same plot of land to improve soil health, optimize nutrients in the soil, and combat pest and weed pressure. Several problems begin to creep up when you don’t rotate crops. All these problems can lead to decreased yields over the course of several years. First, the land itself can become “tired” and less fertile. This is because if the same type of crop is planted in the same area, the plant will continue to drain same nutrients from the soil. Second, certain pests can reach levels that are hard to control. This happens when pests learn to make a home in a field that always has the same type of crop. Finally, land is more susceptible to the forces of erosion if the same type of crop remains season after season. The following are the env