The Crop Alternation Method In Organic Agriculture
Rich product contents in organic agriculture facilities, can be provided with good planning strategies. Rotation (crop alternation) planning and the effects of plants on soil are important for soil efficiency. Rotations are essential in order to protect animals against diseases and pests and provide continuity for soil efficiency.
The reasons why crop alternation is required for soil efficiency can be summarized as below;
- A crop can’t be grown for 5 years in the same categorie.
- There is always a need for the products which improve the soil structure in every five years.
- Soil structure and efficiency, should be improved with occlusive plants and legumes.
The targets of crop alternation in organic agriculture in terms of soil efficiency and plant nutrition are;
- Protecting and improving soil efficiency,
- Protecting and improving the organic material amount of soil,
- Protecting and improving nutrients in the soil,
- Decreasing the frequency of soil erosion.
The factors to be considered while creating crop alternation programmes in terms of soil efficiency are as below;
- The cultivated plants which have high nitrogen consumption and the plants which store nitrogen should be grown sequentially.
- Deep-rooted cultivated plants and superficial-rooted should be grown sequentially. More deep-rooted and stalwart types should be preferred in the same cultivated plants. Plant root development should be encouraged.
- The cultivated plants which have high water consumption and the ones which consume less water should be grown sequentially.
- Low-growing and and rapidly developing plants should be grown sequentially.
- Plants should be ranged balancedly according to the negative and positive effects of soil efficiency.
- In rotation planning, onion, cabbage, potato and sugar beet can be grown in every four years and carrot, cauli and neep can be grown two years in a row.
- The plants which have high and less residuals should be grown sequentially.
- The organic material needs of soil should be satisfied with healthy crop alternation. For this purpose; the products which have low C/N rate, should definitely take place in crop alternation.
