Crop rotation and organic farming
Crop rotation means changing the type of crop
grown on a particular piece of land from year to
year. The starting point for the design of a rotation
should be the capabilities of the farm and the land
in terms of soil type, soil texture and climatic
conditions. Crop rotations can lead to dramatic
increases in soil fertility, help to optimize nutrient
and water use by crops, and improve soil
resources.
General Principles in crop rotation
1. A legume crop should follow with a high nitrogen
demanding crop.
2. Less nitrogen demanding crops should be grown in the
second or third year after a legume sod.
3. Same annual crop should be grown for only one year.
4. It should not follow one crop with another closely related
species
5. Crop sequences that promote healthier crops should be
used.
6. Crop sequences should be used that aid in controlling
weeds/insects/diseases.
7. Susceptible crops should be avoided in companion crops
(eg, banana vs. soyabean).
8. Crops with high and low root biomass should be grown
alternately.
Basic considerations in crop rotation
Farmers business and farm size.
Soil health and fertility management
Balance between cash and forage crops
Seasonal labour requirements and
availability
Cultivation and tillage operations
Benefits of crop rotation
Build soil fertility.
Preserve the environment.
Boost economic returns.
Aid control of weeds, diseases, and
harmful insects.
Add to crop and market diversity.
Crop Rotations and Soil Fertility
Crop rotations boost up N, C, P, and K in soils.
Research revealed that the use of rotational organic
farming practices over an eight-year period increased
soil organic carbon, soluble phosphorous,
exchangeable potassium, and soil pH (acidity
measurements). At the conclusion of the eight-year
trial, soil organic carbon was 2 percent higher in a
field where organic rotational practices were used
than in a baseline field where conventional practices
and a two-year rotation scheme was used. Likewise,
total soil nitrogen was 22 percent higher in the organic
field than in the baseline conventional field.
Crop Rotations and Soil Erosion
Farmers who practice long-term crop rotation can
reduce soil erosion on their land. A study conducted in
USA found 6 inches more topsoil on an organic farm
than on an adjacent conventional farm. The difference
in topsoil depth between the two farms was attributed
to significantly greater erosion on the conventional
farm. Researchers attributed the difference in erosion
rates to crop rotation because the organic farmer
included green manure crops within the rotation plan
while the conventional farmer did not
Alley cropping: Growing annual crops in tilled strips
between rows of a tree or shrub crop.
Companion planting: A general term essentially
synonymous with intercropping but often used to refer
to the planting of non-crop or ornamental species with
vegetables for attraction of beneficial insects.
Insectary planting: Planting strips or patches in a
field with species that attract beneficial insects.
Interplanting/ Intercropping: Growing 2 or more
crop in a field.
Interseeding: Planting a direct-seeded crop into
another crop either at planting of the first crop or later,
after it is established.
Living mulch: Permanent territory strips of perennial grasses or
legumes between rows or beds.
Monoculture: A field with a single crop in it.
Nurse crop: A fast-growing crop that suppresses weeds while a
slow-growing crop establishes.
Overseeding, oversowing: Planting a direct-seeded crop or
cover crop into an already established crop, usually by surface
sowing of the seeds.
Polyculture: A field (or cropping system) with multiple,
interacting crops.
Relay cropping: Planting a second crop into an already
established crop. Usually the first crop is harvested before the
second matures.
Smother crop: An interseeded crop sown with the intent of
smothering weeds; sometimes also applied to a weed
suppressive cover crop grown alone.
Crop selection for organic farming
Choosing the right crop can be a complex process and it is
needed to accept that it will probably take a few years, and lot of
trial error, before finding the crops that really suit in the system.
There are many issues are needed to take into account including:
The market
Yields
Vigor
Resistance to pests and diseases
Climate
Seasonality
Soil type of growing area
Local Demand
Availability of labour
Availability of organic inputs