Crop rotation helps minimize soil degradation .
Crop rotation is the name given to a technique used in agriculture . The method involves alternating the types of plants grown in the same place with the intention of not favoring the development of diseases that affect a specific class of crops and of preventing the soil from being depleted.
This means that, with crop rotation, the species that are planted on a piece of land alternate in cycles that are usually linked to the seasons. This contributes to the control of diseases and pests and improves the efficiency of crops (if different species are planted on the same land simultaneously, the different needs of each one linked to irrigation, fertilizer, etc. must be analyzed. ).
Crop rotation objectives
Crop rotation aims to minimize soil wear. Even when the technique is developed efficiently, the appearance of weeds is reduced since the soil is occupied throughout the year. Another benefit is the increase in the humus reserve : by alternating different plants, some that tend to deplete the soil with others whose contribution of organic matter is greater than their expenditure, we stimulate the activity of those microorganisms in the substrate that are generous with the land, which promotes a healthier and more living soil .
One option for crop rotation is to alternate cabbages and carrots , for example. This reduces the risk of pests and diseases: if only cabbages were grown on said land, the pests that attack this type of plants would end up appearing. The same would happen if only carrots were planted. On the other hand, by alternating between both species, control is simpler and the use of chemical pesticides is not required.
It is important to know the properties of the plants to determine the best cycle to follow in crop rotation. This allows the floor to be enhanced and its wear reduced. All of this is part of crop rotation design, the planning phase that is absolutely necessary to obtain the greatest number of benefits.
Crop rotation can be developed by combining cabbage and carrots.
Process development
The first thing we must do to plan the process is to determine the total duration, after which the soil must rest for a while before being used again for production ; It is estimated that an average of 4 years is ideal for this type of method . On the other hand, there is the division into groups of plants, which necessarily results in a sectorization of the garden for its correct distribution.
Some groups of plants can be fixed, that is, they do not participate in the crop rotation, but rather remain in the same place throughout the process. To avoid confusion, said space must be correctly delimited and preferably in an area that does not interfere with the rotation work. An example of this type of crop are flowers or those plants that have little influence on soil fertility, such as rhubarb or asparagus, two perennial plants.
For the groups that will change position, it is necessary to prepare as many portions of land as the number of years the crop rotation will last, so that each plant takes that long to repeat the area. Among the criteria to be taken into account for the division into groups, we can think of the type of use (with the subgroups root , fruit , leaf and seeds ), the family of crops (divided into composites, cucurbits, legumes, solanaceous, cruciferous, grasses). , liliaceae, chenopodiaceae and umbellifers ) or the specific requirements and contributions of each plant with respect to soil nutrients.