Question

What is crop rotation? Write four advantages of crop rotation.

Answer 1

Crop rotation:

1. Crop rotation is a method in which different crops are grown every alternate season on the same piece of land to maximize agricultural production.
2. Crop rotation method involves growing of set of crops in a regular succession over a same piece of land (field with) in a specific period of time
3. The goals of crop rotation are to help manage soil fertility and also to help avoid or reduce problems with soil borne diseases and some soil-dwelling insects, such as corn rootworms.
4. It is one of the oldest agricultural methods to increase yield per acre.

Advantages of crop rotation are:

1. Crop rotation maintains and improves the fertility of soil.
2. Crops grown in one period of time utilise one set of nutrients. Different crops grown in the following time priod utilise the other set of nutrients so that this time will be enough for the first set of nutrients to replenish themselves.
3. Crop rotation also controls soil erosion.
4. It also prevents soil depletion.
5. Prevents growing of pests and weeds.