Editing Crop rotation (section)

=== Row crops ===

Many crops which are critical for the market, like [[vegetable]]s, are row crops (that is, grown in tight rows).<ref name=baldwinCEFS/> While often the most profitable for farmers, these crops are more taxing on the soil.<ref name=baldwinCEFS/> Row crops typically have low biomass and shallow roots: this means the plant contributes low residue to the surrounding soil and has limited effects on structure.<ref name="coleman2012">{{cite report |last=Coleman |first=Pamela |date=November 2012 |url=https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Guide%20for%20Organic%20Crop%20Producers_0.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004172716/http://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Guide%20for%20Organic%20Crop%20Producers_0.pdf |archive-date=4 October 2015 |url-status=live |title=Guide for Organic Crop Producers |publisher=[[National Organic Program]] |access-date= 4 May 2016}}</ref> With much of the soil around the plant exposed to disruption by rainfall and traffic, fields with row crops experience faster break down of organic matter by microbes, leaving fewer nutrients for future plants.<ref name=coleman2012/>

In short, while these crops may be profitable for the farm, they are nutrient depleting. Crop rotation practices exist to strike a balance between short-term profitability and long-term productivity.<ref name="johnson2009"/>