A Merrier Biodynamic Gardening
It is always good to have a lot of company especially during trying times. It is also an effective practice to mix things up especially when one activity becomes too much of a routine and starts to offer boring and tiring moments. Simple food delicacies become a sumptuous festivity due to variances in color and texture. With this in mind, let’s take a glance of how biodynamic gardening and agriculture in general make s things brighter and more effective via crop rotation.
Crop rotation otherwise known as crop sequencing is the method that involves the cultivation of a series of crops that are part of different types within the same area or agricultural vicinity. This is done in sequential times or seasons to promote many benefits in crop production. One very good example is the prevention of pathogen and pest build up that is normally takes place when only a single crop type is used.
Crop rotation also brings forth a specific balance that is very vital in avoiding the increase in the deterioration and reduction of soil nutrients. The balance can be associated with the varying fertility demands of the various crops utilized. A conventional ingredient in the success of crop rotation is the assurance of optimum nitrogen levels through the constant deployment of green manure with cereal and other forms of crops. Soil structure is also strengthened because of the presence of deep-rooted and shallow rooted crops.
Crop rotation avoids a significant decrease in soil fertility by practicing alternate mechanisms in terms of planting. Practitioners of the method make it a point the a certain crop cultivation that leads to soil leaching of a specific nutrient is timely followed by another that does not have the same effect. One example is the practice of planting cotton after the rice season. In this manner farmers are benefited in two ways. There is no need to let the plants fallow and there is decreased demands for the usage of artificial fertilizers which ultimately results into continuous field production and economical stability.
As mentioned above, crop rotation offers a medium for cultural control. This means that there is adequate defense against pests and diseases that can wreak havoc in every sector of the soil as well as the plants situated on it. The principle behind this is that the use of constant variation in crop types helps in placing pest population levels to a low percentage.
Basically plants that are members of the same taxonomic family attract similar pathogens. The regular change in the planting location can also break down or limit the cycles of pest development. The root-knot nematode causes severe malfunction in plant systems that are prevalent in warm climates and sandy soils. It has a gradual build-up phase leading to high levels within the soil resulting into deterioration in plant productivity mainly because it has the ability to cut off vital plant circulation coming from the roots. Now by following the crop rotation concept, cultivating a crop that is not prone to nematodes during an initial season can aid in the reduction of nematode levels in the soil therefore the farmer is allowed to grow susceptible crops the following season.
Biodynamic gardening and farming is an in-depth approach towards positive agriculture. Just like its buddy crop rotation practitioners must constantly devote time and heart in order to end up in successful harvests.
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