In India, the tradition of cultivating crops according to ancient practices had been prevalent among farmers for generations. However, commercial needs and desire for maximizing yield resulted into a change in farmer’s habits and attitudes towards farming.
Changing the way and adapting Crop Rotation, and its modern techniques, has made farming more sustainable and has proven to be beneficial. This shift has resulted in improved soil fertility and productivity, along with protection against pests in agricultural practices. In the modern era of agriculture, most farmers typically choose crops based on market demand, and only a few farmers are reaping the benefits of adopting crop rotation.
Scientific research suggests that by understanding the advantages of crop rotation and its associated benefits, farmers can effectively harness the potential of their land and reap profitable crops.
Crop rotation is a systematic process of cultivating different crops in a specific sequence on the same plot of land to improve soil health, optimize soil nutrient balance, and mitigate the pressure of pests and diseases. In India, crop rotation is an essential agricultural practice that involves growing various crops on the same land in a well-planned manner over time. It is based on ancient agricultural traditions and plays a crucial role in enhancing agricultural productivity and maintaining soil fertility. Crop rotation can be a strong pillar of India’s sustainable Indian agricultural development.
Details of Crop Rotation, and it’s Recommended of Cultivation:
Benefits of Crop Rotation:
How to Adopt Crop Rotation: The method of adopting crop rotation is based on fundamental principles, which will demonstrate the usefulness of the chosen crop rotation through accurate local knowledge and data.
The following are some examples of crop rotations based on leguminous crops: wheat-gram, chickpea-millet, chickpea-Basra, chickpea-rice, peas-cotton, pigeon pea-peanut.
Benefits and learning’s from International Agricultural Research for India:
FAO (Food Agriculture Organization) and its Contribution: FAO-The United Nations (UN) agricultural-based institution has continuously made efforts on the subject of crop rotation worldwide. Under this organization, programs and seminars have been organized to share knowledge and capacity building extensively. These activities are capable of helping in understanding crop rotation agricultural practices and guiding its adoption. In addition to this, the organization supports the establishment of Farmer Field Schools (FFS), which can serve as education centers based on the farmer community. Here, farmers can gain experience and knowledge about crop rotation, including agricultural techniques. FFS provides a platform for farmers to learn from each other and experts.
Leading agricultural institutions in India, such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Kisan Vigyan Kendra, and state-based agricultural institutions, along with agricultural universities, also address every issue related to crop rotation through local experts at regular intervals.