Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #71
What is Rotation?
Rotation in agriculture is different from normal rotation which is about moving in the same circle. In agriculture rotation is when a farmer continues farming in one piece of land every seasons from one farming season to another planting different crops in the piece of land.
Like for example, a farmer may decide to get a land to farm yam, cassava, maize, groundnut and other crops in the farmland this year and throughout other years it is said to be known as rotation. The reason for rotation is mostly because the land is fertile or it is because the farmer doesn't have much land to farm on.
Like in my village, land is a problem which people keep farming on the same piece of land every farming season. What some usually do is that if this year they plant yams, next farming season it is cassava that they will plant.
What are the benefits of Rotation?
One of the benefits of rotation is that farmers enjoy farming on fertile soil which also avoid crisis in the community because farmers wouldn't be crossing to another person's farmland.
Also it reduces soil erosion as one piece of farm land is being maintained every season.
Rotation reduces pests and disease control
Rotation enhanced the structure of the soil and water retention.