Question

Which of these is/are the advantages of crop rotation?
A. It prevents the depletion of selective nutrients
B. It prevents the building up of diseases and pests of a particular crop
C. It enhances the production by increasing the soil fertility
D. All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Crop rotation – It is the method of growing different crops alternately on the same land. In north India farmers grow legumes in one season and wheat in the next season. Growing crops alternately helps in replenishment of the soil with nitrogen because the bacteria present in the root nodules of the leguminous crops fix the atmosphere's nitrogen.

Complete Answer:
- Crop rotation is a method used by the farmers to maintain the level of nutrients in the soil. Each crop has its own requirement of nutrients, climatic conditions, soil etc.
- Farmers grow various crops in a year in their fields and never repeat the same crop for certain reasons.
- Crop rotation is a technique used by the farmer in which they grow the different crops in the same piece of land. This technique helps in preventing the depletion of certain nutrients from the soil.
- Since the nutrients are limited in the soil therefore the farmer doesn’t grow the same crop again. Instead he will grow another crop which will have different nutrient requirements.
- This will leave a gap between the two cycles of the same crop and helps soil to recover its lost nutrients. If farmers grow the same crop it will lead to invasion of pathogens again and again which will cause disease and ultimately severe damage to the crop production.
- Growing crops alternately help in increasing the fertility of the soil.
- Rice and wheat are the major crops of and if farmers will grow them continuously then the nitrogen level of soil will reduce. To maintain this farmer grows leguminous crops which helps in regaining Nitrogen level of soil.

The correct answer is “D” All of the above.

Note: Crop rotation is the natural method of replenishing soil nutrients.
Example: Rotation of corn with soybean, it reduces weeds and replenishes the soil with nitrogen. Crop rotation improves the physical, chemical and biological environment of soil, it reduces pests and diseases, reduces erosion, and hence increases productivity.