utilize extra nitrogen that might be there at the end of the
A rotation including a perennial forage, for at least a
season, and add organic matter to the soil. A four- to five-
few years, may provide many advantages to the cotton-
year vegetable rotation might be as follows:
peanut system. Research with two years of Bahia grass
in a cotton-peanut system indicates greater cotton root
Year 1. Sweet corn followed by a hairy vetch/winter
growth, more soil organic matter and earthworms, and
rye cover crop
better water infiltration and storage.
Year 2. Pumpkins, winter squash, summer squash
followed by a rye or oats cover crop
SUMMARY
Year 3. Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers followed
There are literally dozens of rotations that might work
by a vetch/rye cover crop
well on a particular farm. The specific selection depends
Year 4. Crucifers, greens, legumes, carrots, onions,
on the climate and soils, the expertise of the farmer,
and miscellaneous vegetables followed by a rye
whether there are livestock on the farm or nearby,
cover crop
equipment and labor availability, family quality-of-life
Year 5. (If land is available) oats and red clover or
considerations, and financial reality (potential price
buckwheat followed by a vetch/rye cover crop
minus the cost of production). (However, vegetable
farmers will sometimes include low-return crops in
Another rotation for vegetable growers uses a two- to
their rotations because customers expect to find them
three-year alfalfa sod as part of a six- to eight-year cycle.
in the mix at a farm stand or farmers’ market.) From an
In this case, the crops following the alfalfa are high-
ecological view, longer and more complex rotations are
nitrogen-demanding crops, such as corn or squash, fol-
preferred over shorter ones. It also makes a lot of sense,
lowed by cabbage or tomatoes, and, in the last two years,
once equipment is in place, to stay flexible instead of
crops needing a fine seedbed, such as lettuce, onions,
having a rotation set in stone. If you’re ready to adjust to
or carrots. Annual weeds in this rotation are controlled
rapid market changes, changes in labor availability, crop
by the harvesting of alfalfa a number of times each year.
pest outbreaks, or unusual weather patterns, you’ll be in
Perennial weed populations can be decreased by cultiva-
a stronger position economically, while still maintaining
tion during the row-crop phase of the rotation.
a complex rotation.
Most vegetable farmers do not have enough land—or
the markets—to have a multiyear hay crop on a signifi-
SOURcES
cant portion of their land. Aggressive use of cover crops
Anderson, S.H., C.J. Gantzer, and J.R. Brown. 1990. Soil physical
properties after 100 years of continuous cultivation. Journal of
will help to maintain organic matter in this situation.
Soil and Water Conservation 45: 117–121.
Manures, composts, or other sources of organic materi-
Baldock, J.O., and R.B. Musgrave. 1980. Manure and mineral
als, such as leaves, should also be applied every year or
fertilizer effects in continuous and rotational crop sequences in
central New York. Agronomy Journal 72: 511–518.
two to help maintain soil organic matter.
Barber, S.A. 1979. Corn residue management and soil organic mat-
Cotton alternating with peanut is a common simple
ter. Agronomy Journal 71: 625–627.
rotation in the Southeast coastal region. The soils in this
Cavigelli, M.A., S.R. Deming, L.K. Probyn, and R.R. Harwood, eds.
1998. Michigan Field Crop Ecology: Managing Biological Pro-
area tend to be sandy, low in fertility and water-holding
cesses for Productivity and Environmental Quality. Extension
capacity, and have a subsoil compact layer. As with
Bulletin E-2646. East Lansing: Michigan State University.
the corn-soybean alternation of the Midwest, a more
Coleman, E. 1989. The New Organic Grower. Chelsea, VT: Chelsea
Green. See this reference for the vegetable rotation.
complex system is very desirable from many viewpoints.
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Building SoilS for Better CropS: SuStainaBle Soil ManageMent