Crop rotation | TableDebates

Crop rotation is the practice of growing different types of crops in sequence across the same area of land. It is designed to optimize nutrients in the soil, improve soil health, and counter pressure from pests and weeds. This practice can reduce the need for chemical inputs and is commonly associated with agroecology, regenerative agriculture and organic farming.

Field of rice. Credit: Si Nur Sholeh via Pexels

Journal articles

Functionally rich crop rotations increase calorie and macronutrient outputs across Europe

This study found that crop rotations with three functional types produced more calories and macronutrients than cereal monocultures and cereal-only rotations with forage crops used to produce milk. The analysis shows no trade-off between functionally rich rotations and food production or agricultural land expansion.

Feeding Britain from the ground up

Feeding Britain from the ground up

This report from the UK’s Sustainable Food Trust models the impacts on food production, land use, diets and self-sufficiency of a country-wide switch to sustainable farming methods, based on mixed farming rotations and grazing livestock.