journal article·2026-06-30Open access

Crop Rotation for Sustainable Agriculture: Mechanisms, Technologies, and Regional Recommendations

Qianwen Su, Yapeng Wu, Yuting Dong, Zhexuan Ding, Wenbin Zhang, Tao Ye, Xin Lu, Zhong Tang

Applied Sciences· Volume 16· Issue 13

Abstract

Crop rotation is a key practice for improving soil health, reducing chemical inputs, and ensuring sustainable agricultural productivity. This review synthesizes research from major agricultural regions worldwide, including North America, Europe, South America, South Asia, and Africa, with additional case studies from China to illustrate regional applications. This study presents a streamlined framework that integrates climate adaptability, crop combinations, yield-enhancing mechanisms, technological support, and regional optimization. By analyzing plant–soil–microbe interactions—including improvements in soil physical structure, nutrient cycling, microbial processes, and suppression of pests and diseases—we elucidate how rotation systems enhance the yield of subsequent crops. Precision agriculture technologies, such as variable-rate fertilization and remote sensing, have been shown to improve resource use efficiency and reduce labor input in certain cropping systems. Diversified crop rotations can substantially offset direct greenhouse gas emissions through enhanced soil carbon sequestration. The design of region-specific recommended rotation patterns should follow the principles of resource matching, stable yield and efficiency enhancement, and sustainability. This framework provides a practical reference for designing region-specific rotation systems and advancing sustainable agricultural development.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Climate change impacts on agriculture · Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics · Soil and Land Suitability Analysis

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China

School of Electrical Information Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China

Suzhou Agricultural Machinery Technology Promotion Station, Suzhou 215128, China

Funding

Modern Agricultural Machinery Equipment and Technology Promotion Project of Jiangsu Province · National College Student Innovation Training Program · 25th batch of college student scientific research project funding project of Jiangsu University · Innovation Practice Fund for College Students of the School of Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Manufacturing, Jiangsu University

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