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AWATT Farm Resource Management Training ManualWEED CONTROLRotations can be used to cause shifts in weed populations. Populations of certain weed speciescan be suppressed by competition from the crop raised or by the selective use of herbicides.Wild mustard populations can be reduced by selective treatment of small grain grown inrotation with row crops. Grass weed populations, often a problem in small grains, can bereduced by the rotation with Egyptian clover.Herbicides can have both beneficial and harmful residual effects on the next crop. Therefore,planning the correct sequence of herbicide use together with crop selection has become anecessary part of rotation management.SOIL NITROGENAggressive weeds in wheat field in Baghlan Province, May 25, 2010.Legumes in the rotation can be used to increase the available soil nitrogen. Symbiotic nitrogenfixingbacteria called rhizobia form nodules on the roots of legume plants and convert or fixatmospheric nitrogen to organic nitrogen. The amount of nitrogen fixed varies with species,available soil nitrogen, and many other factors. Fixed nitrogen not removed from the land byharvest becomes available to succeeding crops as the legume tissues undergo microbialdecomposition. When the legume crop is seeded, rhizobia inoculum should always be appliedto the seed to ensure the most productive commercial strains are available to form nodulesand that inoculating bacteria are always present. Even though indigenous bacteria may bepresent in the soil, research shows improved commercial strains of rhizobia have more capacityto fix nitrogen.SOIL TILTH AND STRUCTUREMany farmers who rotate crops comment on the improvement in tilth or friability of soilfollowing soybean or other row crops. In a study involving corn, sugar beet, and barley plantedin succeeding years, soil aggregate stability was increased from 67 to 76 % when three years ofalfalfa were added to the rotation. Increased aggregate stability reduces the tendency of the soilAfghanistan Water, Agriculture and Technology Transfer Program 22
AWATT Farm Resource Management Training Manualto puddle or crust, increases the rate of water infiltration under certain conditions, and mayalso reduce wind erosion.SOIL MOISTURECrop rotation can lead to greater overall efficiency in soil water utilization. Spring-seeded smallgrains usually deplete soil water 3 to 4 feet deep. In contrast, sunflower, safflower, corn, andsugar beet are deep-rooted crops, which can deplete soil water to depths of 5 to 6 feet.Therefore, deep-rooted crops such as sunflower following small grains can take advantage ofthe extra reserve of deep moisture and any nitrogen that was positionally unavailable to ashallow-rooted crop.Alfalfa and sweet clover, also deep-rooted crops, can be used to dry up saline seeps and otherwet areas. Depletion of soil water in saline areas prevents the accumulation of salts on thesurface, permits movement of the salts downward by leaching, and allows re-cropping to a cashcrop such as wheat.REDUCTION OF SOIL EROSIONCrop rotations combined with recommended tillage practices can play an important role inreducing wind and water erosion. Solid seeded crops such as small grains provide moreprotection against water erosion than row crops. Permanent crops such as hay or pastureprovide even more protection against erosion. Management of crops to provide sufficientresidue throughout the year is essential for satisfactory control of both wind and watererosion. No-till or minimum till farming is highly desirable as a conservation practice, but croprotation must be used to reduce the build-up of insects, disease and weed pests.ALLELOPATHYThe reasons for improved yields from crop rotations are not completely understood. Researchhas attempted to reveal some of the unknown factors. Allelopathy refers to plant material orchemicals derived from these materials which inhibit the germination, growth or developmentof another species. Autotoxicity refers to plant material that inhibits the germination, growthand development of the same species. Legumes such as alfalfa, while often beneficial to nonrelatedspecies, exhibit autotoxic effects to alfalfa seedlings. Research in Illinois indicated olderstands caused greater inhibition of new seedlings. This study indicated that one year withoutalfalfa was sufficient to nullify the detrimental effects of the alfalfa.MONITORING AND POSSIBLE REDESIGN OF ROTATIONThe implementation phase will likely reveal the need for additional adjustments to the plan. Theeffectiveness of the rotation must be monitored against the goals of the plan, changes in theneeds of the overall farm management and marketing strategy, and the rotation guidelinessuggested earlier.Afghanistan Water, Agriculture and Technology Transfer Program 23
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