Crop Rotation

Crop rotation is used to describe a way of crop cultivation. Rotating which crops are planted in a field each year can have great benefits to the soil, such as improving soil structure, increasing available nutrients and reducing pests.

Legumes are commonly used in nitrogen-deficient soils due to their symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The bacteria live within the root nodules and convert nitrogen gas into ammonium, which can be used by plants. When legumes are harvested their roots and plant remains are left to be broken down by decomposers, releasing the useable nitrogenous compounds within the soil to be used for the next crop planted in the field.