Growing the same crop year after year on the same piece of land is called monocropping. Reaserches have shown that after some time the yield of The mono cropping leads to a number
of problems related to the soil, pest and resource utilization and pest management. Crop rotation is solution to many of these problems.
The Crop rotation is stated as growing one crop after another on the same piece of land in different timings (seasons). It is a planned order of planting specific crops on the same field. The planned rotation sequence may be for a two- or three-year or longer period There are significant impacts of rotating the crops on crop yield and soil fertility.
The choice & sequence of rotation crops depends on the nature of the soil, the climate, and precipitation which together determine the type of plants that may be cultivated. Crop marketing & economic variables must also be considered when deciding crop rotations. Double cropping is common where two crops, typically of different species, are grown sequentially in the same growing season e.g. pearl millet followed by chickpea. Multiple cropping systems, such as intercropping or companion planting, offer more diversity and complexity within the same season or rotation.
Benefits of Crop Rotation
Balanced nutrient absorption
In a crop rotation, essential plant nutrients are absorbed by the crop plants in a balanced manner, as the nutrient requirement of crops are different, some taking up more of one kind of nutrient than another.
Improved Soil Fertility
The use of different species in rotation allows increased soil organic matter (SOM), greater soil structure, and improvement of the chemical and biological soil environment for crops. With more SOM, water infiltration and retention improves, providing increased drought tolerance and decreased erosion. Soil aggregation allows greater nutrient retention and utilization, decreasing the need for added nutrients.
Pest Control
Crop rotation is also used to control pests & diseases that can become established in the soil over time. The changing of crops in a sequence tends to decrease the population level of pests. Plants within the same taxonomic family tend to have similar pests and pathogens. By regularly changing the planting location, the pest cycles can be broken or limited.
Weed management
Rotating crops helps in weed management. There are certain weed species that are associated with a particular crop. If the particular crop is unavailable, the weeds also disappear. These weeds can be eradicated by adopting crop rotation.
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