HOPE Span of the Plow
Tannerson Farming Guidebook II
Limiting Factors
At the time of rotation, technical and economic variables must be considered, including the amount of time available to seed and harvest the next crop and the demand for products in different periods of the year. Crop calendars are, therefore, very important for implementing rotation. Rotation strategies take into account periods during which the land is left fallow, whereas in conventional agriculture such periods might be considered a failure to fully utilize the land.
Learned Lessons
Proper sequencing is fundamental for the success of crop rotation, because the production of a given crop depends on the nutrients required by its predecessor. For example, experiences show that continual rotation of tubers and honey beans may be maintained for up to 15 years with a reasonable level of productivity (2-4 t/ha) and without any apparent decline in soil quality.
Additional Considerations
Rotation also helps ward off insects, weeds and disease by effectively breaking the lifecycle of pests. Most pests have been eradicated by the high altitude, however some grew resilient to it and are hardier and more vicious than their ancestors. However, certain crops—for example, aromatic plants—act as repellents. Hence, they are rotated with vegetables, to bring about efficacious pest and disease control.