Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #69

Friends I am here to share my knowledge and understanding about crop rotation.

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What is Crop Rotation?

Source

Crop rotation is a farming and agriculture practice where farmers plant and grow different types of crops on the same piece of farmland over several years. It's different from monocropping which is similar to crop rotation but focuses more on maintaining soil fertility. Crop rotation also means planting; maize, groundnut, cassava, yam etc in one piece of land.

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Benefits and demerits of crop rotation?

Benefits of crop rotation:

• Crop rotation enhanced soil fertility through rotating heavy-feeding crops with nitrogen.

• Crop rotation control pest and diseases through changing crops and life cycles, pest and diseases can be reduced.

• Soil rotation improved soil structure through alternating between shallow rooted crop and deep-rooted crops to prevent soil compaction.

• Crop rotation prevents erosion by maintaining constant ground cover with different residues and crops.

Demerits of Crop:

• Crop rotation is complete because it requires meticulous planning and a deep understanding of crop compatibility.

• Crop rotation is too expensive to operate as farmers may need to invest in a variety of seeds and machinery.

• Crop rotation is a short-term financial risk as it is less profitable.

• It is not all region not soil types that are suitable for soil rotation.