A crop rotation is a systematic sequence of specific crops planted on the same piece of land year after year.
Carefully planned crop rotations offer many benefits to farmers and can help reduced tillage practioners to overcome some of the associated problems such as compaction and weed population shift.
Benefits of crop rotations
 
· Increases crop yield by improving soil productivity, soil-water use
· Reduces weeds, insects and disease problems
· Slows down pest (weed/insect/disease) resistance
· Increases pesticide (herbicide/insecticides and fungicide) options
· Improves soil fertility
· Improves soil tilth and aggregate stability
· Reduces wind and water erosion
· Protects water quality
 
Tips on Crop Rotations in Reduced Tillage Systems
 
· A well planned rotation consists of alternating between annual cereals (e.g. wheat, barley, oats, others), oil-seeds (e.g. canola, flax, sunflower), winter cereals (e.g. winter wheat/fall rye), legumes (e.g. peas, lentils, chick peas) and forages (grasses and legumes).

· Climate and market conditions determine the choice of crops in rotations. Pay special attention to the following factors
 
1. Plan to grow only those crops that are most suitable to your soils
2. Understand market conditions and future grain prices
3. Do not grow the same crop in consecutive years in order to reduce pest problems.
4. Follow a crop with one that is not closely related species in order to reduce weeds, insects and diseases.
5. Know the pest problems (weeds, insects, and diseases) and have a control plan in place – do not use a pesticide with the same   mode of action on the same field year after    year.
6. To maintain soil organic matter, rotate high residue crops (wheat/barley) with low residue crops (canola, peas) or use cover crops.
7. The influence of the previous crop has a major effect on a response of a crop in a rotation sequence.
8. After the rotation is planed on a paper, do some calculations on expected yield and prices and make adjustments if necessary. 
 
Crop Selection