Published 2019-04-19
Abstract
Sustainable agriculture, which affects economic output, social equity, and environmental health, should benefit not only the current generation, but also future generations. Implementing crop rotation is a significant approach to improving the development of sustainable agriculture. An appropriate rotation of crops can improve soil fertility, efficiently utilize soil nutrients, suppress plant diseases and pests, and benefit human health and the environment by reducing the application rates and use of synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides and fertilizers. Crop rotation has a long history but comprehensive understanding its role and appropriate implementation in agricultural practices still needs to be addressed. Crop rotation has a number of agronomic, economic, and environmental benefits compared to monoculture cropping systems. An appropriate crop rotation can increase soil organic matter and soil microbial biomass, improve soil structure, reduce soil degradation, promote diversity, increase marketable crop yield and quality, and physically and biologically control pests (such as weeds, insects and pathogens) while conserving the environment.