Crop rotation helps maintain:

**The reasoning** Crop rotation is the practice of growing different crops on the same piece of land in a planned sequence. Here's why it maintains **soil fertility**: Different crops have different nutrient needs. For example, maize is a heavy feeder that depletes nitrogen, while legumes (like beans or groundnut) actually *add* nitrogen to the soil through their root nodules. When you rotate them, you prevent exhausting specific nutrients. Additionally, rotation breaks pest and disease cycles (pests specialized for one crop starve when a different crop is planted), and varying root depths help utilize and replenish nutrients at different soil levels. The principle: **Sustainable nutrient cycling through diversity**. **Why the wrong options tempt you** - **A (Pests)** – Rotation actually *reduces* pests, not maintains them. Don't confuse "effect on" with "maintains." - **C (Weed growth)** – Different crops can suppress different weeds; rotation controls them, not encourages them. - **D (Water tables only)** – While rotation can affect water use, it's not the primary or sole benefit. **Quick takeaway** Crop rotation = nutrient balance + pest control = healthy, fertile soil for years to come.