Crop Rotation: The Free Disease and Weed Control

Every crop carries a menu of pests and diseases that build up in the soil year after year. Separating 'host' crops with different families starves those enemies and resets the field naturally.

Rotation rules that work

• •Never follow the same crop family in the same field consecutively
• •Alternate shallow and deep rooters to use different soil layers
• •Include a legume every 2–3 years to fix nitrogen
• •Use crop residue from one crop as feed for the next season

Rotations also split weed problems — each crop's cultivation habit suppresses different weeds. On farms that rotate well, pesticide and fertiliser needs fall steadily over 2–3 years.