crop rotation

American

noun

the system of varying successive crops in a definite order on the same ground, especially to avoid depleting the soil and to control weeds, diseases, and pests.

crop rotation British

noun

the system of growing a sequence of different crops on the same ground so as to maintain or increase its fertility

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of crop rotation

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Their work was always about more than crops. It was about empowerment and survival. Bloom Ranch embodies that legacy, honoring and applying practices like Carver’s crop rotation and soil health techniques.”

From Los Angeles Times

Corn planted in average soil with a typical corn-soybean crop rotation is projected to lose nearly $150 an acre, while soybeans planted in a normal rotation are seen losing almost $90 an acre.

From The Wall Street Journal

A professor of agriculture at Kansas State, Fred is a trans man who understands the dangers of isolation and is never too busy to ask “How are you feeling?” or offer nonjudgmental advice on everything from crop rotation to matters of the heart.

From Los Angeles Times

This forces growers to maintain fertility more naturally with crop rotation and other practices, which at least helps to ensure that the land isn’t in a constant monoculture year after year.

From Salon

However, one often-overlooked way to ensure long-term success is raspberry crop rotation.

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023