Crop rotation has long been an important practice for maintaining and improving soil fertility and condition, minimising erosion and slowing down the build-up and spread of pests, diseases, and weeds. It is therefore a corner-stone of IPM programmes and for achieving sustainable crop production.

A survey was conducted on current rotation practices in tobacco to provide information for the “Rotations” chapter of the CORESTA IPM manual. Information was obtained from 21 countries, including all the major producers and covering both small and large scale production systems. It indicated that rotation is practised mainly to assist in the control of the common soil borne fungal diseases and nematodes and, to a lesser extent, to assist in control of insect pests, broom rape and weeds.

Intervening crops vary widely between countries. Some are chosen because they are not hosts of tobacco pests, others for purely economic purposes.

Length of rotation varies from short term with one crop alternating with tobacco in one year, such as rice and tobacco, to long term with 3-4 years between tobacco crops rotating with a grass pasture on its own or supplemented with crops such as maize or groundnuts.

Crop rotation is not practised universally, especially in the case of small scale farmers, in the main because of issues of land tenure, small farm size with little opportunity for expanding, limited farm income and the need to be self-sufficient in food. Also, because of the high cost of seed for suitable alternative crops, availability of resistant varieties and practices that enable the crop to be grown when pest pressures are small and conception that pest control by crop protection agents is adequate and more economical.

Details of the findings are presented and discussed in relation to implementation of IPM programmes, achieving sustainable production, education and research.