The Agricultural department of the United States of America defines crop rotation as the increase of multiple crops in a planned manner within the same field. Numerous research conducted has proved many benefits of the method of farming with the inclusion of pest resistance, reduction of environmental effects among other significance. On the other hand, monoculture or the single crop system refers to the repetition of planting a single type of crop in the same field (Ma, 1). The type of planting is not common but is mostly associated with particular crops whose values are high. It gets significant to realize that the use of crop rotation is aimed at maximizing the crop yield both for the current and future crops. Therefore, the paper is based on the reasons why crop rotation is a better type of farming than monoculture.
As noted earlier, crop rotation reduces the impact of pest or rather plays the pest resistance role. In most cases, insects, pests, and diseases have the norm of attacking certain crops while leaving others. Therefore, the growth of one crop may not be beneficial with the kind of behavior since, over time, the insects and pest may develop the ability to attack the crop. Crop rotation helps in reducing the impact by bringing on board variety of crops which may not be attacked by the insects, pest, and diseases considering the specificity aspect (The Benefits of Crop Rotation 2). The type of farming also helps in the promotion of soil health. In most situations, soils portray the behavior of eroding less on rotated fields considering the production of biomass and crop residue, concerns which may not be realized through the monoculture type of farming. It is vital to note that, the nutrients level may increase in the fields which are rotated as compared to those of monoculture.
In many occasions, one type of crop put to use one kind of nutrient within a planting period, the basic understanding behind the concept informs about crop rotation offering a variety of nutrients and even adding more of the same to the soil especially those that are legumes. It also facilitates the production of different crops which serves a different purpose. For example, one crop may be grown to serve as human feeds; the next crop may be those meant to feed livestock specifically, and the final ones may be based on improving the soil fertility. In most circumstances, the success of such a method also calls for the application of additional fertilizers which will help in supplying the nutrients that may have been lost in the process of keeping different crops over a long period (Ma 4).
Moreover, the method helps in the reduction of peak labor and distributing planting and harvesting periods during the year. The logic behind the reduction in labor is informed by the different periods by which crops mature and become ready for harvesting which is unlike monoculture where a particular crop is grown, and harvesting is done in bulk within a particular period. The last important issue about crop rotation is on the reduction of environmental impact on the land. The portrayed is due to the reduction in the use of insect and disease control mechanisms. There is also decrease in soil erosion which may interfere with the soil nutrients and particles.
Even as the discussion on crop rotation holds, it gets significant to realize that monoculture method may also not require an elaborate planning or management. A person who practices the kind of farming may only need the knowledge and practical experience of one plant as opposed to crop rotation where the farmer must be diverse (The nitrogen cycle 3). The equipment required for the method are also few hence reducing the cost of production, a situation which most farmers may bank on to boost their profit. In consideration of the imaged, it comes out clearly that most of the benefits of monoculture are few and short-term as compared to crop rotation. A scholar in matters farming once argued that monoculture also tends affecting soil compaction hence making the soil unsuitable for farming. The method is, therefore, one which fails to recognize the long-term benefits of adding nutrients to the soil for future benefits. Crop rotation thus comes out as a better farming method which should be considered by most people who are concerned about the production of different types of crop and also high yield. The method allows farmers to become diverse with the different farming techniques considering the different plants brought together in the same farming area.
In summary, crop rotation comes out as a better farming method than monoculture due to the numerous benefits which it offers. Some of the notable ones included, increase in yield, the addition of nutrients to the soil, planting of different crops among others. On the other side, monoculture method got argued to deal with the growth of one type of crop which in most cases affects the soil compactness hence interfering with the future soil ability regarding better production.
Works Cited
Ma, Bao-Luo. Crop Rotations: Farming Practices, Monitoring, and Environmental Benefits. , 2016. Print.
The Benefits of Crop Rotation. Agronomy Library, Monsanto, 2017, www.aganytime.com/Pages/Article.aspx?article=1150.
The nitrogen cycle. Science Learning Hub, 30 July 2013, www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/960-the-nitrogen-cycle.
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