Why is crop rotation difficult to do the way American agriculture operates today?

Question

im having trouble answering this question, im supposed to make it up myself, but i just cant think of why

Answer 1

Rotation is not difficult. Most farmers where I live do rotate crops. The fields that don't get rotated as often are the best producing ones, but they will get rotated after three or four years.

Answer 2

The only problem with crop rotation is one of economics.

It Don't Pay!

If you rotate a field to a crop that costs you money then it is not profitable.  Consequently, the rotation crop must either be profitable all by itself or it must do something to make the cash crop more profitable.  That is the problem.  In the upper midwest, the rotation crops are essentially corn and soybeans.  If corn brings you more profit  (income - expenses = profit), then a farmer has a tendency to plant corn.  However, if soybeans bring it more profit then the farmer has a tendency to plant soybeans.

If the rotation crop actually costs money (expenses exceed income) then what can you do, or why would you use it as a rotation crop.

Question:

Does crop rotation increase overall yield or profit?

Truthful Answer:

Sometimes.

Until the farmer eliminates the sometime and replaces it with either yes, or most times then crop rotation will stay out of favor for an actual production farm that has the goal of being profitable.

Answer 3

In a lot of dry places only a few crops will grow without heavy irrigation

Answer 4

although there are many disadvantages to continuous cropping it is easier to grow a single crop.  Less machinery, more constant income and production, less technology required, etc.

A good starting place  would be evaluating the machinery requirements for Corn production and Alfalfa Production.  If you are rotating corn and alfalfa  you have to add the two together.  Pretty expensive.

Answer 5

Crop rotation is difficult because you are only replacing a fraction of the nutrients you put into the soil.

Planting legumes like alfa alfa or beans replace some nitrogen, but grasses like wheat or corn take nitrogen in the form of fertilizer regardless of legume production.