ANRA:Lecture:Crop rotation

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Lecture notes on Crop Rotation

By Dillion O'Callaghan, Druid

Crop rotation is planting of specific plants in preplanned order on the same field. Each succeeding crops must be of all together different type than the previous crops planted. The cycle of rotation should be in 3 to 4 year period with each year different crop being planted.

Benefits of Crop rotation

• Each differing crops require different nutrient from the soil. By rotating crops that require vastly different nutrient from the soil. We can maintain the amount of nutrients used and returned to the soil.

• Most plant disease and pests, target specific type of plant. By having diverse array of crops. Farmers can prevent all crops falling to same disaster. By regularly changing planting location, you can break the cycle of pest growth in the soil and prevent further crop damage. Such as those from root-knot nematode, which are huge problem in sandy soils. By planting crops that are not host to this pest, you can reduce the number of nematodes in the soil and safely plant susceptible plant the following year.

• Grass and legumes can be planted as pasture in plot where the soils are rested. Returning nutrients back into the soil. As well as preventing soil erosion in slopes.

• Many crop residue from differing plants can be returned to the soil to enhance water retention and other factors.

• Small grains and meadow and always replace any crop to help erosion control and to produce more plant residue to be returned to the soil.

• Also by planting crops with differing growth time, having different planting and harvest times. It can allow more land to be farmed with the same amount of labour.

Maintenance

• Never plant a grass/legume after another grass/legume.

• If possible include some perennials in the rotation.

• There are some alkaline-tolerant crops, however the list is short. Also in many cases, salinity of the soil and aridity of the land comes hand in hand. Thus mose of the crops listed below are suitable for drylands:
  • Oil seed: Some are quite tolerant, best among them mustard seeds.
  • Millets: Pearl millets are most suitable for saline soil.
  • Barley: One of the most tolerant crops.
  • Sugar crops: Sugar beet is most suitable in dryland.