Crop Rotation on Organic Farms

Jan 19, 2010

Crop rotation can improve soil quality and health while helping to manage pests, disease and weeds.

Funded in part by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), the Natural Resource, Agriculture and Engineering Service (NRAES)  has recently published a book, Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual. This resource can be downloaded for free. Hardcopies of the book are available for sale at the same site.

In addition to providing instructions for rotation planning, other features of this book include:

  • Problems and opportunities for over 500 crop sequences
  • Characteristics of more than 60 crops and 70 weeds
  • Crop diseases hosted by over 80 weed species
  • Modes of transmission for 250 diseases of 24 crops
  • Thirteen sample four- and five-year vegetable and grain crop rotations
  • Managing Crop Rotation Chart with key tasks & steps
  • Sample worksheets and calculations
  • Step-by-step procedure for determining crop rotation plans