Exploring the plant and soil mechanisms by which crop rotations benefit farming systems

Abstract

many parts of the world, driven by the goals of food security and economic benefit. Increased use of inorganic fertilizer in the monoculture system has masked land degradation trends and avoided crop yield loss but there have been impacts on sustainability of farming systems.Crop rotations support nutrient cycling (i.e., nutrient recycling from subsoils, nutrient turnover from crop residue), enhance soil ecosystem services (e.g. maintain soil microbial diversity, use of residual moisture, improve soil hydrological properties), break weed, pest & disease transmission cycles and improve resource use efficiency (e.g. use of residual soil water) (