Crop rotation is an efficient farming technique that has been used by farmers for centuries. They are one of the ancient techniques which are still prevalent to the modern day and allow for great benefits. Crop rotation to be explained in simple terms is the intentional planting of various crops across the field at different seasons to maximize the crop yield. This helps in getting the maximum benefit whilst also allowing for the land to rejuvenate and become fertile.
The practice of crop rotation is used by farmers all across the globe as per their agriculture calendar. The technique is known to have various advantages to it and we’ll look to discuss them below in detail. It also has a few setbacks of its own which we’ll follow up further down below for a clarified picture about it.
Read along.
Advantages of Crop Rotation
1. Increase in Soil Fertility
- Crop rotation is known to increase the soil fertility in the farm. When the farm has a prolonged plantation of the same type of crop, then the soil starts depleting in terms of nutrients and lessens the crop yield year by year. Compared to the crop rotation, the soil can interact with various types of crops throughout the year and can absorb different nutrients making it a better option overall. Crop rotation also helps in the improvement of the soil organic matter and other micro-organisms in the soil allowing it to be more fertile and nutrient for farming.
2. Increases Crop Production
- Crop rotation as a technique is known to improve the harvest obtained from the soil. Since crop rotation allows for a variety of crops to be planted throughout the year across various seasons, this makes it a great general bounty in terms of harvest as the farmer can derive year-long output from the small area of the farm. Various research reports have also mentioned the growth in the crop yield by up to 25% with the use of crop rotation. The aspect of crop rotation also helps in bringing out increased fertility for different crop production.
3. Increases the Nutrition and Moisture level of Soils
- Many farmers have noted the increase in fertility, nutrition, and moisture levels of the soil after the use of crop rotation techniques. Crop rotation allows the land to rejuvenate and regenerate without the need for fertilizers as the different crops themselves help provide the organic fertilizer and nutrient growth in the soil. When different crops are rotated and planted, the soils absorb the nutrition from the previous crop and regenerate the nutrition and moisture levels. For say, planting legumes can help in increasing the nitrogen content in the soil and more.
4. Reduces Soil Erosion and landslides
- Agriculture and farming in various hilly areas are often prone to soil erosion and landslides where most of the topsoil is washed away during the rainfall. This often affects the farmers as the soil fertility diminishes and the crop yield reduces. Crop rotation can help in reducing the spoils of soil erosion and landslides by having different crops planted during off-seasons rather than leaving the soil bare. For say, crawling plants like beans and peas can help prevent erosion by providing the soil with cover. Similarly, various other plants can help tie the soil together via their roots and help in protecting the soil from landslides and washing away.
5. Reduces the chances of pests and diseases
- When you plant a similar type of plant or crops, then the pathogens level builds up and the pest can build their habitat disrupting the overall crop production. When you use crop rotation, the cycle never continues as a variety of crops are planted in different seasons. This reduces the chances of pests building and diseases in the plants. Farmers have seen the use of crop rotation help decrease the overall chances of pests and diseases in their farms and build a proper crop yield system.
Disadvantages of Crop Rotation
1. Risk Factor
- Getting involved in crop rotation comes with a lot of risks as the farmer has to invest in farming and cultivating various plants. For that, they need to buy different seedlings, and specific equipment and also learn the type of farming techniques for those said different crops. This can be risky for farmers who are new to the field and don’t know the aspect of crop rotation fully.
2. Improper implementation can cause harm
- Improper implementation of the crop rotation technique can affect the crop instead of improving the soil and fertility. Any farmer involved in crop rotation without the technical knowledge of the field can make mistakes that will impact the soil’s natural progression and cause harm to the next harvest.
3. Need for diversification and understanding
- The entire concept of crop rotation is to diversify the crop plantation based on various seasons. That being said, you can’t just repeat the same module or process and think of getting the right results in your way. You need to be involved in obligatory diversification by understanding the nature of the soil and the season to get the right pick and not damage the soil. Furthermore, each of those crops will need a different attention and plantation process along with the mending. This has to be done on priority for a better result. Some of the areas and climates also affect the way crop rotation should be done.
Final Words
Crop rotation is a major farming practice done all across the globe and has been known to improve soil performance and fertility. Hence, the farmers still indulge in this technique to get the best results. It has a lot of advantages for farming but also comes with a few noteworthy points to understand in the form of disadvantages.
Santosh Kumar is a Professional SEO and Blogger, With the help of this blog he is trying to share top 10 lists, facts, entertainment news from India and all around the world.