Crop rotation: how it can help your production

rotação de culturas

Do you know about crop rotation? First, you need to understand some important factors. Soil conservation involves a combination of land use and management methods to protect it from damage caused by natural or human factors.

To ensure good soil quality, it must be protected from damage caused by inappropriate agricultural activity. Techniques such as crop rotation contribute to adequate nutrient replacement and improved soil fertility. Therefore, in this article, we will explain what crop rotation is and how you can optimize it to help your production. Come with us:

Find out what crop rotation is

Crop rotation is an agricultural conservation technique to decrease soil depletion. This is possible with the exchange of crops at each new planting, allowing the preservation of soil nutrients and the need for fertilization to be different with each cycle.

The technique consists of alternating different plant species in the same agricultural area over time, along with the use of different herbicides and insecticides, to vary the absorption of nutrients and make soil exploration more sustainable.

The cultivation of only one crop (monoculture) extracts the nutrients necessary for that type of plant from the soil, undermining the soil’s productive potential in the long run. Over time, the production capacity is significantly reduced, causing an imbalance in mineral reserves. The continuous system of succession of the type wheat-soy or corn interim-harvest-soy tends to cause the physical, chemical, and biological degradation of the soil and the fall of the productivity of the cultures.

Unlike monoculture, crop rotation allows different nutrients to be absorbed by the species at each new planting since different plants will be used. In addition to improving soil fertility, crop diversification facilitates pest and disease control, reduces the use of pesticides, and protects the soil from the effects of the climate and improves its structure.

rotação de culturas

Among the benefits of crop rotation, we can mention (it):

  • Provides diversified production of food and other agricultural products;
  • Improves the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil;
  • Assists in the control of weeds, diseases, and pests;
  • Replenishes organic matter and protects the soil from the action of climatic agents;
  • Helps make the Direct Seeding System viable.

See how to optimize crop rotation

In order to obtain the maximum productive capacity of the soil, crop rotation planning should seek, whenever possible, to associate commercial plants of annual cultivation with species that produce large amounts of biomass and of rapid development, cultivated alone or in consortium with commercial crops. 

The choice of soil cover should aim to achieve a large amount of biomass. Forage plants, grasses, and annual or semi-perennial legumes are suitable for this purpose. Also, preference should be given to nitrogen-fixing plants, with a deep and abundant root system, to promote nutrient recycling.

One can use, for example, a combination of pigeon pea, or a mixture of crops for soil cover, such as brachiaria + millet, and sequences of crops with great potential for biomass production.

To achieve the best results, it is not enough to rotate crops to establish the best planting sequence. It is necessary to use all other technologies at your disposal, as techniques for erosion control; no-till; to care for the quality and treatment of seeds; use green manure; pay attention to the time and density of sowing; control weeds, pests, and diseases, among other practices.

rotação de culturas

Discover other solutions for the field

The modernization of agricultural practices makes it possible to optimize the use of inputs, reduce losses in production, increase the quality of products, speed up work cycles, and increase productivity. In search of better solutions for production processes, farmers invest in versatile and high-performance agricultural machines to have more efficient production and reduce the cost of production.

For this reason, we want to quote Roblift Agro, from Robustec. It is a good example of technology developed specifically to be applied in fieldwork and to meet the needs of producers. This equipment helps in the preparation of the land and, besides, makes it possible to harvest in humid and difficult to access areas, even in periods of rain.

Other transportation solutions have been developed by the company, with emphasis on the lines for securing cargo, lifting loads, hand winches, and winches that facilitate daily life and work in the field.

As we have seen, crop rotation has many benefits for the soil, making it more fertile. Using the right techniques, you will be able to avoid problems such as erosion and lack of nutrients and increase the productivity of your crops.

Did you like this article? Want to learn more about caring for your soil’s fertility? Then access this article on agricultural practices for soil conservation!