A systematic agricultural method where different plant families are grown in a specific sequence over several seasons or years in the same field. This breaks pest and disease cycles that build up when a single crop is grown continuously. It also balances soil nutrient demands, as different crops deplete or restore specific elements, such as legumes fixing nitrogen for subsequent grain crops.
Heard on the job
We're keeping a strict crop rotation on the north forty, moving from corn to soybeans and then winter wheat.
Do not mix it up with
- Monoculture: Monoculture grows the exact same crop year after year, whereas crop rotation deliberately alternates them.