Join 60,000+ competitive exam aspirants
Which cropping pattern maintains soil fertility through planned crop succession?
Crop rotation
Monocropping
Mixed cropping
Relay cropping
Crop rotation
Crop rotation is the systematic practice of growing different types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons to improve soil health and manage pests. By alternating crops with different nutrient requirements and root depths, it prevents the depletion of specific soil minerals and disrupts the life cycles of soil-borne pathogens.
Crop rotation is the systematic practice of growing different types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons to improve soil health and manage pests. By alternating crops with different nutrient requirements and root depths, it prevents the depletion of specific soil minerals and disrupts the life cycles of soil-borne pathogens.
This agricultural technique is central to the goals of the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, India.
Leguminous crops (e.g., pulses, beans) are often included in rotation to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil.
It reduces reliance on synthetic chemical fertilizers by naturally restoring soil nutrients.
Crop rotation helps in breaking the pest and disease cycle by removing host plants for specific insects.
Monocropping involves growing the same crop repeatedly on the same land, which leads to nutrient exhaustion and increased pest infestation.
Mixed cropping involves growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same piece of land without a definite row arrangement.
Relay cropping is a form of intensive cropping where a second crop is planted before the first crop is harvested, maximizing land use efficiency.
Option A is correct because it specifically focuses on planned succession to maintain soil fertility.
A is correct тАФ Crop rotation is the planned sequential planting of different crops on the same field to maintain soil productivity.
In Geography, link crop rotation to the concept of 'Shifting Cultivation' (Jhum), where soil fertility is naturally restored by leaving land fallow, whereas crop rotation achieves this through intentional plant selection.