Question

define crop rotation ? while choosing plants for crop rotation what are are the factors to be kept in mind

Answer 1

Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar or different types of cropsin the same area in sequenced seasons. It is done so that the soil of farms is not used for only one set of nutrients. It helps in reducing soil erosion and increases soil fertility and crop yield.

A great advantage of crop rotation comes from the interrelationship of nitrogen fixing-crops with nitrogen demanding crops. Legumes, like alfalfa and clover, collect available nitrogen from the soil in nodules on their root structure.

Answer 2

The factors are as below:
1. Net profit per hectare2. Growth habit and nutrient requirement of different crops.3. Soil type and slope.4. Infestation of weeds, pests and diseases.5. Irrigation facilities. 6. Climatic conditions.7. Land, labour, power and other resources.8. Food habit and requirements. 9. Market facilities.
1. The crops with taproot should be followed by those, which have a fibrous root system. This helps in proper and uniform use of nutrients from the soil and root do not compliant with each other for uptake of nutrients.
2. A shallow rooted grain crop, deep rooted cash crop and restorative crop (legume crop) should be included in the rotation for providing food, fodder, cash and maintaining the fertility and productivity of soil.
3. The leguminous crops should be grown after non-leguminous crops because leguminous fix atmospheric “N” into soil and more organic matter to soil, while non- leguminous are fertility crops. Apart form this, legumes need more phosphate and less nitrogen while non- legumes need more of nitrogen and relatively low phosphorus. So nutrient requirements of these crops are different and such combination helps farmers in reducing cost of cultivation.
4. Selection of the crops should be based on soil, climate season and market demand.
5. More exhaustive crops should be followed by less exhaustive crops because crops like potato, sugarcane, maize, etc. need more inputs such as better tillage, more fertilizer higher number of irrigations, more insecticides, better care than crops like oil seeds, pulses, etc. which need little less care or little less inputs