Question

Which of the following agricultural practices keeps the fields free for a season allowing replenishment of the lost nutrients?
a) Monocropping
b) Crop rotation
c)Multiple cropping
d)Field fallow

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.

Additional Information: -Monocropping or single crop production is harmful to the soil as it loses its nutrients and it doesn’t get time to replenish its nutrients thus, degrading the soil quality. Single cropping practices should be discouraged as after a period of time the soil will become uncultivable causing loss to farmers.
-Multiple cropping is done when on a piece of land different types of the plant crop varieties are sown. It is also known as intercropping. Tomatoes, onions and marigolds can be grown in the multiple cropping fashion.
So, the correct answer is ‘Crop rotation’.

Note: Rotation of crop helps in the restoration of the nutrients without the need of synthetic methods. This is the eco-friendly way to replenish the lost nutrients. It also interrupts the pest’s life cycle preventing the attack of pests on the crops.