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51. In order to make sure of a good harvest and to keep your soil rich, never sow groundnuts for two years running on the same field.
In the second year, there would not be enough nourishment in the soil to feed the groundnuts.
Always grow a different crop every year on the same field.
This is called crop rotation.
If you change crops every year, the plants do not take the same nutrients out of the soil, and they also take their nourishment at different depths of soil.
- Examples of crop rotation:
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First year: |
Groundnuts (or cotton) |
|
Second year: |
Maize (or millet) |
|
Afterwards: |
Bush fallow (for 3 or 4 years) |
|
First year: |
Groundnuts |
|
Second year: |
Millet or sorghum |
|
Third year: |
Groundnuts |
|
Afterwards: |
Bush fallow (for 2 or 3 years) |
- With rotations like these, groundnuts can use the mineral salts left by the fallow.
In their turn, the grain crops (such as maize and millet) can
use the mineral salts left by groundnuts.
Find out from your extension
service which is the best kind of crop rotation for your
area.
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