Crop rotation?

[megavites]

I’m into my second year of planting foodplots. I had good success last year with Real world deadly dozen. My question is…if this mix has clover in it, is it necessary to do a crop rotation?
My plan is to plant the same mix in the same plot. If crop rotation is recommened, how often should this be done (yearly, bi-yearly etc)
Mix.. Winter Wheat, Winter Hardy Oats, Rye Grain, Austrian Winter Peas, Tillage Radish, Purple Top Turnips, Rape Plus, Sugar Beets, Forage Collards, Impact Forage Collards, Crimson clover, Oil-Seed Radish

 

[j-bird]

crop rotation is something that is sometimes adopted from the agricultural world. You don't have to do it. Farmers do it for several reasons. A rotation of grasses (including corn) and legumes (including clovers, soybeans) allows the legumes to provide an additional source of free nitrogen in the soil for the following grass crop and thus reduce fertilizer input needs. Another thing crop rotations can do is address or prevent disease and pest issues. If you plant the same thing, time and time again. You can foster condition to harbor certain fungus, molds, insects and the like. Yet another reason for crop rotation was back in the day when there wasn't RR crops. You had to deal with weeds in a grass or broadleaf manner and thus you could really only address broadleaf weeds in a grass crop and you could only address grass weeds in a broadleaf crop. Keep in mind farmers do this because it's their paycheck......our plots....not so much!

In our plots - its not required. It won't hurt, but in my opinion 99% of cases it's not needed unless you do discover an issue. The biggest issues would be a crop disease or pest or you are depleting a specific mineral from your soil that you are not otherwise replenishing. Monitor your plant health, monitor your soils (soil test - even the micro nutrients) and your weed issues and you should be just fine.

Your mix looks like a fall annual mix for the most part.....so as part of a rotation - you may want a clover that will overwinter if possible to be added - or specifically plant an annual clover in the spring. This will help reduce weeds, and build N in the soil that your later to be planted brassica and grasses (cereal grains) will appreciate.

All just my 2 cents worth.

 

[yoderjac]

I’m into my second year of planting foodplots. I had good success last year with Real world deadly dozen. My question is…if this mix has clover in it, is it necessary to do a crop rotation?
My plan is to plant the same mix in the same plot. If crop rotation is recommened, how often should this be done (yearly, bi-yearly etc)
Mix.. Winter Wheat, Winter Hardy Oats, Rye Grain, Austrian Winter Peas, Tillage Radish, Purple Top Turnips, Rape Plus, Sugar Beets, Forage Collards, Impact Forage Collards, Crimson clover, Oil-Seed Radish

The short answer is "No". j-bird covered it well. The key is mixing crops that complement one another. This can be done in a wide variety mix like you are using or by rotation of monocultures. Just as an example, the most prominent rotation these days is between corn and soybeans. Farmers plant these as monocultures mostly because harvest equipment is designed for a monoculture. In this particular case there is some yield advantage for them as well. Corn is a grass that uses a lot of nitrogen from the soil. Soybeans are a legume that fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil. By using no-till methods where oxygen is not introduced into the soil (which burns OM and destroys the natural soil tilth), the balance between the grass (carbon) and the legume (nitrogen) helps build OM which improves your soil health and increases natural nutrient cycling.

You get the same effect when you plant a mix that has both legumes and grasses in it.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[MickT]

To sum it up, crop rotation is a defense against the negative effects of agricultural monocultures. This generally isn’t a problem in forage plots but can be when monocultures are grown for grain. A pure corn, bean, sunflower, etc plot should still be rotated and/or cover cropped to minimize pests, disease, and nutrient deficiencies.


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[Bill]

J-bird and Jack answered it. The only thing I won't plant continuous is brassica's. I've had brassica beetles eat my plot once. I'm going on 10 years continuous beans with no problems yet. Knock on wood, I'll probably get a bug or mold next year :)

 

[Tap]

Occasionally, a plot may develop an invasion of a nasty weed in which gly won't control, so another herbicide is sometimes used. Different herbicides can effect what can be grown or follow-up planted. For example, say a clover plot has been completely overrun with a gly resistant weed (and not all weeds can be controlled with mowing) so we choose a different herbicide, one which may limit the choices of forages we can grow.
I'm not saying the typical plot needs rotation, but there are times that a weed species MUST be eradicated with the use of a chemical that forces us to rotate.

 

[sagittarius]

Rotating plots allows you to rotate herbicides as well. It can also improve organic matter, and lower fertilizer inputs. If you allow a white clover plot to sit 2-4 years it may only need mowing 2-3 times per year, saving tillage, fertilizer, and planting time. Plot rotation is easier when you have multiple plots, or divide larger plots in half or more. Diversity improves both habitats and foodplots.

 

[JFK52]

It has already been mentioned, but I rotate my RR corn and RR ag soy beans after two years of the same crop in one field. I also will not plant brassicas more than two years in the same food plot. Mostly to avoid disease issues and / or bugs that eat the particular plant.