Evaluation of Crop Rotation on Organic Farms in Northern Serbia

Summary

The objective of this paper was to analyze six organic farms in northern Serbia in order to evaluate crop rotation composition and identify its role in cropping technology of the organic production. The major agronomic indicators of organic crop rotation were analyzed: number of crops and their ratio, number of different crop schemes and fields in rotation, land coverage with crops, crops structure, etc. Information was acquired by visiting and surveying farmers during the 2005/06 as well as reading their documentation required for certification. The obtained results showed that the farmers carried out production on a 3-4-year rotation basis. The cropping plan was strongly driven by market demands. Compromises with design and structure of the rotation were compensated with additional crop management or organic fertilizers. The potential for the development of good farming management based on efficient crop rotation has not been fully achieved.