Planting one crop one year and another the second year in order to amend the soil is an example of?

Planting one crop in one year and a different crop in the following year to improve soil health is known as crop rotation. This agricultural practice helps in enhancing soil fertility, controlling pests and diseases, and reducing soil erosion. Each type of crop contributes to the soil in different ways; for instance, legumes can fix nitrogen in the soil, benefiting the subsequent crop.

In contrast, monoculture refers to the practice of growing the same crop on the same land year after year, which can deplete specific nutrients and increase vulnerability to pests and diseases due to a lack of biodiversity. Intercropping involves growing two or more different crops in proximity during the same growing season, which aims to maximize the use of available resources and increase biodiversity. Cover cropping, on the other hand, is the practice of planting specific crops primarily to cover the soil rather than for the purpose of harvest, often to prevent erosion and improve soil quality between main crop cycles.

Therefore, crop rotation stands out as the ideal method in this context for improving soil health through the alternation of crops over different seasons.