Soil is the core resource of agricultural production. It not only provides crops with nutrients and water for growth but also supports multiple ecological functions such as microbial activity and ...

A new computational model shows how different patterns of crop rotation -- planting different crops at different times in the same field -- can impact long-term yield when the crops are threatened by ...

We ask a lot of our gardens: Brilliant flowers, productive vegetables, pest-free plants and fertile soil. To get these lush results, sometimes we need to employ more than just water and compost. Crop ...

Midwestern agriculture contributes the vast majority of nitrogen in the Gulf of Mexico, causing an oxygen-starved hypoxic zone and challenging coastal economies. State and federal policies have tried ...

Although crop rotation is practised widely in Europe, notably for the control of crop pests, diseases and invasive weeds, monocultures[1] still dominate in Africa and Southern Asia. Elsewhere, ...

Farmers have utilized rotations of multiple crops over a several year period for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years. Archeological evidence suggests that farmers in the Fertile Crescent ...

There are ways to improve soil health, control diseases and manage pests without applying heavy amounts of fertilizer or pesticides. For gardeners committed to growing several years into the future, ...