Effect of Mono Cropping on Soil Health and Fertility Management for Sustainable Agriculture Practices: A Review

Mono cropping is a common practice in agriculture, and usually causes serious economic losses due to soil degeneration, decreased crop yield and quality, and increased disease incidence, and pest occurance. It mainly due to changes in soil microbial communities, nutrient availability, and allelopathy effect. Recently, progressive studies have illustrated the mechanisms of mono cropping obstacles, and valid strategies to overcome them. Crop rotation and inter-cropping, choosing resistant cultivars, and biological management are only a few strategies for overcoming the drawbacks of mono cropping. Crop rotation is the most established and traditional agronomic technique for maintaining water and nutrient balance; avoiding disease; insect, pest, and weed control; and boosting crop production. Intercropping has been proven to increase yield and plant development, and it can help with serious issues, including small crop production, buildup of pests and diseases, soil deterioration, and environmental contamination. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that the major Benefits of intercropping include the reduction of pests and diseases, the improvement of the efficiency of soil resource use, and the improvement of soil nutrient absorption. Overall, a multi-pronged approach that incorporates soil amendments, crop rotation, and intercropping, along with a deeper understanding of plant–microbe relations and stress responses, may help us to overcome the obstacles associated with mono cropping. Therefore, Crop rotation, intercropping, and soil amendments to maintain soil fertility and promote healthy plant growth, so that they can develop sustainable cropping practices to minimize these effects. By improving soil health, farmers can maintain high crop yields and ensure the viable crop production.