Knowra Crop rotation Crop rotation Crop rotation is the practice of growing different crops in sequence on the same land. It helps maintain soil fertility and manage pests, diseases, and weeds.
Legume : A plant in the family Fabaceae, many of which form root associations with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Legumes can add biologically fixed nitrogen between crops with high nitrogen demand.
Crop sequence : The ordered succession of crops grown on a field over time. A rotation is implemented as a planned crop sequence suited to each field.
Two-field system : A farming system that divides arable land into two parts, alternating crops on one and fallow on the other. It represents an early rotational system that periodically rested cultivated land.
Monoculture : The cultivation of a single crop or species over a large area or repeated seasons. Rotation replaces repeated single-crop planting with changing crop species over time.
Soil fertility : The capacity of soil to provide plants with essential nutrients in forms they can use. Rotations influence nutrient supply through crop uptake, residues, and biological fixation.
Nitrogen fixation : The conversion of atmospheric nitrogen gas into chemically usable nitrogen compounds by certain microorganisms or industrial processes. Nitrogen-fixing microbes associated with legumes can enrich soil during a rotation.
Intercropping : The practice of growing two or more crops together in the same field during part or all of a growing season. Unlike rotation, intercropping arranges crop diversity in space rather than succession alone.
Three-field system : A medieval European system that rotated winter crops, spring crops, and fallow across three fields. Its sequence diversified planting and reduced the share of land left fallow compared with two-field farming.
Fallow : Farmland left unplanted for a period, often to conserve water or restore soil conditions. Rotation can reduce reliance on bare fallow by using crops that protect or improve soil.
Soil erosion : The removal of soil by water, wind, or other forces. Including crops that maintain cover can reduce erosion between harvests.
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