Why Do Farmers Use Crop Rotation?

Crop rotation is a common practice among modern-day farmers. If you live in farm country, you're probably used to seeing wheat grown on one field for a couple of years, then the wheat being substituted with another crop, such as yams. This doesn't mean that the farmer grew tired of growing wheat or that wheat is no longer a profitable crop. Crop rotation, rather, is a way to make the most efficient use of farmland.

Crop rotation refers to the practice of planting a crop in one field for a predetermined period of time, then planting a different crop on that same field for another rotation of time. Succeeding crops are usually of a different genus, species, subspecies or variety than the previous one, according to Dr. Michael D. Reed, a small grains extension agronomist from North Dakota State University. Rotations commonly last two or three years.

Rotating crops on a piece of land helps maintain the fertility of the soil so that growing crops continue to get the nutrients they need from the soil. It does this by depositing extra nitrogen in the soil from the previous crop. That nitrogen is then available for the next crop. Crop rotation also helps to reduce erosion and discourages pest populations from growing out of control, because pests that thrive in one crop may not be able to live off another.

Farmers must contend with basic concerns, like weather destroying their crops or the market for their crops flailing, given the economy. However, crop rotation removes one concern from the table: that crops will not flourish. That's because crop ration ultimately results in better crop yields, since rotating crops ensures that each crop has the nutrients it needs and that pests will not kill it. This, in turn, results in increased profits. In times when farmers often find themselves struggling to turn a sufficient profit, crop rotation is one way to remain profitable.

Some farmers have abandoned crop rotation farming because this strategy requires additional planning and management skills, according to Reed. That's because succeeding crops should require different nutrients than the current one required, since the current crop likely depleted specific nutrients from the soil. Additionally, farmers who wish to rotate crops will have to invest heavily in many types of equipment and may need to hire added help, according to the Crop Rotation website, since existing crops will have to be removed to make room for a new crop.

Farmers must carefully consider the type of soil they're working with and the specific nutrients required for each crop when deciding what crop will succeed the current one. The type of crop you choose should depend on the nutrients available in your soil, notes the Crop Rotation website.