What type of crop rotation includes alternating crops from different plant families?

The practice of crop rotation, which involves alternating crops from different plant families, is employed for various agronomic benefits. By rotating crops, farmers can improve soil health, reduce pest and disease cycles, and enhance nutrient availability. Different plant families often have unique nutrient requirements and pest profiles; thus, when a crop from one family is followed by a crop from another family, it disrupts the life cycles of pests and diseases that may have adapted to the previous crop.

Crop rotation also plays a significant role in soil fertility. For instance, legumes can fix nitrogen in the soil, benefiting subsequent crops that require this essential nutrient—something typically lacking in soils after certain other crop types, such as cereals. This diversity helps maintain a more balanced soil ecosystem.

In contrast, practices like continuous cropping involve growing the same crop year after year, which can lead to nutrient depletion, increased pest pressures, and potential soil degradation. Shifting cultivation often refers to a system where land is cleared, used for a few years, and then abandoned, which does not focus as specifically on alternating different crops across different families in a systematic way. Intercropping involves growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field, focusing on different spatial arrangements rather than a sequential rotation system.

Therefore