Importance of Crop Rotation and Resources About Its Environmental Effect

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Why is Crop Rotation Important?

Humans began as hunter-gatherers. As a result, early man led a nomadic existence wandering from one location to another, gathering foods growing wild, hunting animals and then, moving on. It was only when human beings discovered how to grow food that man began to settle in one place, developed communities and started to develop a civilization. It is said that civilization as we know it today was made possible when the first man discovered how to grow food rather than rely on what he could find.

Early agriculture was a trial and error process, experimenting with crops, water, conditions and methods. Early in this process, farmers discovered that the more they used any particular piece of land, the less productive it became. Through constant experimentation, they made discoveries about agricultural land. Perhaps without even understanding the reason, they learned that in order to continue to produce crops, the land must be fed and needs to rest and recuperate. Thus began the first and earliest form of crop rotation- the practice of leaving a field unplanted every number of seasons.

In Europe, for example, for centuries farmers utilized the “two crop” system. In this technique, half of a field was left fallow for a year and the other planted. In fact, crop rotation in one form or another, is one of the oldest agricultural methods used by man. Crop rotation was used by the ancient Romans and is mentioned in many Asian and Indian cultures. It is a system that is still in use today.

Crop rotation is a method whereby any one specific area of land is planted with different crops at different periods of the growing cycle or year. Under some systems, areas of land may be left uncultivated for a growing season in order for the earth to replenish itself naturally rather than resort to the use of chemical fertilizers. Fertilizers, while providing “bumper” crops, are increasingly seen as being problematic and not healthy for the land.

Today, after thousands of years of experimentation and with the development of agricultural science, crop rotation has advanced significantly. Crop rotation refers to a planting system of specific crops being planted in the same field. Additionally, new crops are of a different species, subspecies, genus or variety than the crop that preceded it. The scheduled rotation period may be for one, two or three years or even longer.

Soil Nourishment

Crop rotation fulfills a number of functions including soil nourishment. All crops give something back to the soil as well as take from it. Different crops have different needs but also return to the soil a variety of compounds. Rotating crops ensures that the soil receives diverse elements that might otherwise need to be replaced by artificial means. Another function of crop rotation is pest control. By changing the crops planted in any one field, the environment for both animal and plant pests is altered. This makes it difficult for the pests to establish a hold on a specific area.

Soil Quality

Soil quality is another factor. Root systems of different crops vary. Many farmers report that crop rotation improves the quality of the soil and makes it easier to work. Crop rotation can also reduce the effect of soil erosion caused by water either from rain or irrigation. It also results in the more efficient utilization of soil moisture. Some crops have shallow root systems and take water from depths of approximately one meter. Other crops have a deeper root system and can obtain moisture from the soil at depths of up to two meters. Planting a deep root crop after a shallow root crop promotes the more efficient utilization of soil moisture and lessens the need for irrigation.

How Does Crop Rotation Affect the Environment?

Crop rotation is an agricultural policy characterized by the consecutive cultivation of different crops done in a specific order on the same fields. Some crop rotations are designed in high and immediate gain, with little consideration for the conservation of resources; others are designed for high and continuing returns while protecting resources. A prototypical crop rotation plan selects rotation crops from three classifications. The first classification is cultivated raw crops, such as wheat and potatoes, that are planted and harvested in rows. The second classification is close-growing grains, such as oats and wheat, and are planted and grow very close together. The third classification is called sod-farming, or “rest,” such as clovers. It is recommended that crop rotations ought to include deep-rooting legumes.

A well-planned crop rotation policy makes a farm a more efficient year-round enterprise. It provides the most effective use of labor, power, and equipment and reduces weather and agricultural market risks. It also maximizes the possibility of raising livestock in addition to purely agrarian enterprises.

Environmental Benefits

A few important environmental benefits that can result from a well designed crop rotation include: a reduction in disease problems in crops; a reduction in the infestation of insects that damage crops; an improvement in soil fertility; a reduction in the amount of soil erosion; and an improved ability to manage soil water.

Reducing and Averting The Transmission of Diseases and Infestation of Insects

Well planned crop rotation has been very successful in reducing and averting the transmission of a variety of diseases and the infestation of insects that threaten crops. Some insects are specific to the host. A good example would be that the rice stem borer nourishes frequently on rice and if one doesn’t alternate rice with other crops belonging to another category, the insect continues to feed as the food is always accessible. If one plants a legume, for example, as a subsequent crop, then beans, then bulbs, and follows that crop with corn, the insects will likely expire due to the absence of appropriate food. The use of a mixture of crop rotation as well as pesticides is often more effective in the reduction of pests than pesticides alone; moreover, pesticides with the purpose of providing economical control are not available for certain diseases, such as white mold in potatoes, sunflowers, and dry beans.

Reduction of Wind and Water Erosion

Responsible tillage practices combined with crop rotation can play a crucial function in reducing water and wind erosion. Solid seeded crops offer more defenses against water erosion than row crops, and permanent crops, such as pasture or hay, supply even greater protection. There has been much anecdotal evidence that crop rotation has resulted in a significant enhancement in tilth or friability of soil following soybean or other row crops. Crop rotations that include legumes or perennial grasses can add considerable matter to the soil by the process of decomposition of above and below ground plan material. Meadow crop roots maintain or increase soil in humans or long-lasting organic matter; the organic matter contributes to determining the soil bulk density and thus, water holding capacity. Rotations with legumes has been proven to reduce the need for nitrogen fertilizer for the crops that follow in the rotation process. Crop rotation, by rotating the demands for nutrients needed by the different crops, reduces the depletion of nutrients as well as potentially adding to the nutrients.

Crop Rotation as a Way to Control Water Resources

Devising an effective plant rotation system is an excellent way to control water resources. Historically, beginning when farmers started to grow grain in the Great Plains, they rotated crops while allowing the fields to remain fallow to preserve water for their cash crops, including wheat. This was based on the assumption that leaving the land stripped for more than one year would allow water to build up in the soil. A leading agrarian researcher, Perry Miller, examined Austrian winter peas as a fall-planted cover crop that would be developed throughout the winter. He found that including peas throughout the fallow period actually captured water, guarded against the possibility of erosion, and enriched the soil with biomass.

For some years, crop rotation fell out of favor. It demanded greater planning and extra resources. Additionally, the availability of chemical fertilizers, weed killers and pesticides provided what was considered the perfect alternative. In recent years, with greater awareness of the damaging side effects of these artificial agents, there has been an increased return to the ancient, proven and natural system of crop rotation.

Resources about Crop Rotation

PDF about What is crop rotation, and why is it important? Crop rotation is an easy way to control diseases and insects at no cost.

Organic Field Crop Production and Marketing in North Carolina

Dr. Michael D. Peel, NDSU Small Grains Extension Agronomist article about General Effects of Rotations, Results of Crop Rotation Experiments, Economic Considerations with Crop Rotations, Selecting a Rotation, Suggested Rotations

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