The document discusses the importance of crop rotation for preventing the depletion of soil nutrients and the buildup of pests and diseases. It explains that not rotating crops led to disasters like the Dust Bowl and Irish Potato Famine. Crop rotation involves growing different types of plants in the same area in successive years. This prevents any one nutrient or pest from becoming overly concentrated. The document provides examples of crop rotation plans and families of plants that should not be planted in the same area more than once every few years, such as the nightshade family.

1. Crop Rotation

2. Dust Bowl, Irish Potato Famine linked to one crucial farming mistake: growing same crop in same piece of land year after yearDust Bowl – land depleted of nutrientsPotato Famine – disease stayed in soil

3. Rotating crops is ancient practiceFarmers in Ancient Rome, Africa and Egypt rotated their cropIn England in Middle Ages farmers used three-year crop rotation of rye, oats or barley and nothing the third year

4. Definition of Crop RotationVegetable crops grown in different areas of garden in succession in consecutive years.Change type of plant grown on particular piece of land from year to year or season to season

5. Prevents buildup of soil-borne pests and diseases specific to one group of crops Prevents depletion of specific nutrients

6. Eachcrop tends to pull particular set of nutrients from soil depending on its particular needs.

7. Year after year of same crop allows certain pests and diseases to become comfortable Rotation confuses pests and keeps populations lowDiseases don’t become established

8. used to build organic matter and soil nutrients that certain plants use during their life cycle.

9. Not only individual plants, but certain families of plants are subject to same diseases and should not be planted in the same area more than once every 3 yearsPotatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants

10. Solanacea or nightshade family--tomato, pepper, eggplant, potato, tomatillo;Onion family--onions, garlic, leek, shallot, chives;Cucurbit or gourd family--cucumbers, muskmelon, watermelon, squash, pumpkin, gourd;Mustard or cole family--cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, turnip, radish, Chinese cabbage, kale, collards, mustard greens, rutabaga;Legume or pea family--garden pea, snap beans, lima beans, soybean;Grass family (edible part is seed)--sweet corn, popcorn, ornamental corn;Carrot family (edible parts are roots, leaves, and leafstalk)--carrots, parsnip, parsley, celery;Goosefoot family--beet, Swiss chard, spinach;Sunflower family--lettuce, Jerusalem artichoke, endive, salsify;Bindweed family (edible part is root)--sweet potato;

11. Rotation PlanCrops planted in Bed 1 are planted in Bed 2 the following year, and in Bed 3 the year after that, and then Bed 4 and back to 1 again.

12. Green Manuretraditional component of crop rotation is replenishment of nitrogen through the use of green manure crop

13. Crop rotation can also improve soil structure and fertility by alternating deep-rooted and shallow-rooted plants.

14. Irish Potato Famine could have been prevented by crop rotation to divert the spread of potato blight.

15. Vegetables usually divided into four groups to accommodate four-year rotation planhttp://www.yankeegardener.com/resource/croprotate.htmlhttp://www.letsgogardening.co.uk/Information/CropRotation.htm