Crop rotation is a beneficial practice that can help reduce the cycle of pests, and spread risk and workload on farms. However annual cropping systems, no matter how diverse, do not develop the deep rooting systems of a native prairie. Learn more about the benefits of perennial crops from South Dakota State University.

A synthesis of 89 studies across six continents has helped clarify which agricultural practices hold water when it comes to helping soils soak up precipitation — a factor critical to mitigating floods, outlasting drought, and stabilizing crop yields, according to the University of Nebraska.