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4. Soil Management Considerations
Crop Rotation, Including Livestock Integration
Crop rotation is repeated cultivation of crops in the same piece of land in a certain sequence. Crop
rotation should meet the rancher or farmer’s needs (for example, the balance of crop and forage
needed by a farm or the preference for high market value/profitability). If crops are only grown once
a year and the land is fallow the rest of the year:
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Land stays idle for a long time without any productive use.
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Soil can be eroded by both wind and water.
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Soil organic matter and soil nutrients are not replenished and can become depleted during
the fallow period.
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Soil life becomes inactive or may die from overheating, desiccation, or starvation.
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Soil organisms become inactive due to lack of water, decreased organic matter inputs, and
large temperature fluctuation.
Examples of crop rotation:
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Corn – Sorghum
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Wheat – Sorghum – Fallow
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Wheat – Cover Crops
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Sorghum – Cover Crops
Benefits of crop rotation are largely derived from covering soil and providing a diversity of active
root life in the soil year-round (maintain a living root). Some of the benefits include:
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Improved soil structure, water infiltration, and erosion control
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Varying root depths, which draw nutrients throughout the entire soil profile
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Improved yields and retained soil nutrients
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Diversified root and crop residue, promoting microbial growth
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with reduced tillage, increased fungal proliferation and thereby increased soil organic matter
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Pest control, helping to reduce weeds, insects, and diseases