Question

List out some best combinations for crop rotation in practice. What are the benefits of it?

Answer 1

Hint: The continuous cropping over a particular land area may lead to depletion of the soil quality. It may also lead to the loss of nutrients present in the soil. And after some time, the soil will lose its capability to be used as an agricultural plot and would become barren land. 

Complete answer:
The extensive agricultural practices lead to the depletion of the soil nutrients. In order to enhance and replenish the lost nutrients, crop rotation should be done. Crop rotation is the technique in which different types of crops are planted in the same plot of land. It helps in improving the soil quality, prevents soil erosion, presents pests, and weeds. An example of crop rotation is planting corn in the first agricultural season then planting legumes in the second season. This order of planting plants helps in the restoration of the soil nutrients as the legumes help in the fixing of the nitrogen components in the soil which were used up by the previous crop. The crop combination can be formed from the following characters which include a contribution to the soil organic matter content, pest management, manages deficient or the excess nutrients present in the soil, contributes or controls soil erosion, interbreeds, or not, and has an impact on the ecosystem. The different sequence of crop rotation that can be done is- wheat in year 1, barley in year 2, and wheat again in year 3 or wheat in year 1, barley in year 2, and mustard in year 3 and wheat again in year 4.

Note: The major advantages of the crop rotation are that it provides time to soil to get rich in nutrients again. Due to crop rotation, the pest attack can be prevented. It also helps in preventing the soil erosion. It is an economical and ecological agricultural practice.