Question

What do you understand by ‘crop-rotation’? Giving a suitable example, explain how this practice is beneficial to the farmers.

Answer 1

Hint: A crop is a plant or animal that is grown and harvested for economical values and cultivated extensively for profit. The crops are cultivated for the purpose of food and fodder. Most crops are grown through the processes of farming and agriculture.

Complete answer:
The production of foods and fodder for economical use on a large scale is known as agriculture. The process of agriculture depends upon various techniques. Crop rotation is a technique of farming or agriculture.
It is the practice of growing a series of different types of agricultural crops in the same area in a specific sequence depending upon growing seasons. In this process, different plants are planted on the same area of land. The crop rotation technique involves cultivation of different varieties of crops that grow in different seasons but are grown on the same plot of farm. The different plants or crops that are grown may be of similar or different types.
The process of crop rotation is primarily used to replenish the different types of nutrients by cultivating different crops. It increases soil fertility and in turn increases the yield of the crops. Crop rotation helps to reduce soil erosion and restore the physico-chemical balance of the soil. In this process, different types of crops such as a crop with heavy nitrogen demanding plants are grown in rotation with the low nitrogen demanding crops such as legumes. Crops such as corn, maize are followed by growing leguminous crops on the same field. The leguminous crops replenish the soil by restoration of balance of different nutrients.
The main purpose of the crop rotation technique is improving the quality of the soil for cultivation for growing crops. It is beneficial to the farmers as the yield of the crops increases and in the same plot, two different types of crops can be grown. It increases the soil efficiency, proper water usage, reduces soil erosion and increases productivity of the agricultural land.

Note: Crop rotation is the process of growing different varieties of crops in different seasons on the same agricultural area. The crops are grown in a sequential mechanism where a crop with high nutrient requirement is followed by growing crops that need less nutrients. This process helps to increase the soil productivity as well as increasing yields by increasing the nutrients quality of the soil.