Frequently Asked Questions: Organic Field Crops Section

Crop Rotation:

• Is there a specific crop rotation that an organic farmer must follow?
• What is intercropping?
• What are cover crops?

Is there a specific crop rotation that an organic farmer must follow?
Organic crop rotations are incredibly diverse. Most certifying bodies recommend that organic farmers plant crops well-adapted to their climate and soil type. Generally, organic farmers include a minimum of three different crops in their crop rotation schedule. Organic rotations often include alternating periods of perennial and annual crops; deep rooted and shallow rooted crops; high and low nutrient demanding crops, and often include legumes, green manure crops, cover, catch, and nurse crops. The Canadian Organic Growers publishes the Organic Field Crop Management Handbook, which contains several crop rotations used by organic farmers. For example, the Meeting Place Organic Farm of Fran and Tony McQuail has a seven year rotation that follows as such: winter cereal (+ clover)> red clover > mixed cereal (+ forage) > forage > forage > forage > forage followed by a winter cereal. The handbook includes several sample rotations from beef farms, potato farms, farms without livestock, etc.

What is intercropping?
Intercropping is the growing of two or more crops together in the same field at the same time to promote a synergistic interaction between them, for example a legume grown together with corn. Intercrops can be more productive than growing pure stands, and intercropping offers farmers the opportunity to engage nature's principle of diversity on their farms. However, the spatial arrangements of plants, planting rates, and maturity dates must be considered when planning intercrops. When two or more crops are grown together, each must have adequate space to maximize cooperation and minimize competition between the crops.

What are cover crops?
By simplest definition, cover crops are crops grown to provide ground cover and to protect the soil from erosion. When cover crops are incorporated into the soil, to add organic matter, nitrogen or other nutrients, they are referred to as green manure or plowdown crops. In practice, a crop may serve as both a cover crop and a green manure. Consequently, the two terms are often used interchangeably.