Which term describes farming that rotates crops to protect soil nutrients?

• A. Arable Land
• B. Crop Rotation
• C. Pastoral (Farming)
• D. Subsistence Farming

Answer: (B)

Rotating crops to protect soil nutrients is a farming practice that keeps soil fertility by varying what is grown in a field from season to season. Different crops use and restore nutrients in different ways, so changing crops helps prevent the same nutrients from being depleted every year. For example, legumes fix nitrogen in the soil, which can benefit following crops that need nitrogen, while other crops with deeper roots may access nutrients stored deeper in the soil. This rotation also disrupts pests and diseases that build up when the same crop is grown repeatedly and can improve soil structure and organic matter through varied root activity. The other terms describe land or farming in different ways rather than the method of managing crops to protect nutrients. Arable land means land used for growing crops, pastoral farming focuses on livestock, and subsistence farming is aimed at producing enough for the farmer’s family. Therefore, rotating crops to protect soil nutrients is the concept this item is describing.