Why did the practice of crop rotation prove successful?

in #farming6 years ago (edited)

ggg

The medieval system of growing crops was wasteful. By about 1650, Dutch farmers had developed a more efficient way of 'rotating' their crops. Instead of leaving a field fallow, they made it fertile more quickly by spreading manure of growing clover and grasses to improve the soil. In the 1730, farmers such as Charlets Townshend of England, began using a four-apart system of planting crops in rotation. In this system wheat was grown in the first year and turnips in the second. Sheep or cattle ate the turnips, providing valuable manure. Barley was sown in the third year, then grass or clover. This method was widely adopted and became known as the 'four-course crop ratation system'.


Fact file

egekng

Since farming began, farmers had scattered seed by hand. Jethro Tull's seed drill put the seed directly into the soil in neat rows.

resources: Tell me why (Chancellor Press)
image 1: http://www.allotment-garden.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/5-Year-Crop-Rotation.jpg
image 2: http://images.slideplayer.com/31/9710843/slides/slide_75.jpg

30875202_1924270544258858_8654628284220309504_n.gif

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