Crop rotation means growing different crops on the same land in turn, year after year, instead of the same crop every season.
Benefits
- Breaks pest and disease cycles: many pests specialise in one crop, and changing the crop cuts them off.
- Improves fertility: legumes fix nitrogen in the soil and help the next crop.
- Balances nutrient use: each crop has different needs and roots, so the soil layers are used in turn.
- Reduces weeds: weed conditions change as the crop changes.
An example three-year plan
1. A cereal (sorghum or millet).
2. A legume (groundnut or cowpea).
3. An oilseed (sesame), or a rest year with a cover crop.
Tips
- Record what you grew on each plot every season.
- Do not follow a crop with one from the same family.
- Adjust the plan to your rainfall and the markets you can reach.
A simple rotation record
Make a simple table with each plot's name, what was grown in each season and what happened (pests or yield). After a few seasons you will know which sequences give the best result on your land.
Common mistakes
- Repeating the same crop because it paid best last season.
- Forgetting the effect of the previous crop on pests that stay in the soil.
- Adding legumes without following the right guidance on bacterial inoculation where it is needed.
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