Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual (NRAES-177)

Abstract

This 154 page publication (NRAES-177) and accompanying poster (NRAES 204) were originally published by the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES, previously known as the Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service), a multi-university program in the Northeast US disbanded in 2011. Plant and Life Sciences Publishing (PALS) was subsequently formed to manage the NRAES catalog. Ceasing operations in 2018, PALS was a program of the Department of Horticulture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University. PALS assisted university faculty in publishing, marketing and distributing books for small farmers, gardeners, land owners, workshops, college courses, and consumers.Reviews the do’s, don’ts, how’s, and why’s of crop rotation and its many applications, such as improving soil quality and health, and managing pests, diseases, and weeds. Expert organic farmers helped develop crop rotation guidelines for a variety of field conditions and crops. Discusses crop rotation when transitioning to organic farming. Describes problems and opportunities with rotation sequences for 52 crops including vegetables and fruits. It contains a rotation planning guide and 13 sample crop rotations. Intended for farmers, educators, students, and advisors. The book (NRAES 177) is also useful for conventional farms and will be most applicable for the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. It will also be useful in other parts of the US, Canada, and even Europe. An accompanying 2 foot by 3 foot poster (NRAES 204) is also provided, based on Appendix 2: Crop Sequence Problems and Opportunities, in the book. It can be used with the book to develop crop rotation sequences for all farms