The high costs of inorganic fertilisers and nematicides has necessitated research for suitable legume crops to be rotated with tobacco according to land size. Four to six years rotations are not being followed on most small farms in Malawi. The result of this is loss of soil fertility and a built of nematodes from lack of rotation. To alleviate the nematode and soil fertility problems, a rotation study which involves two grasses (Maize and Rhodes grass), and three grain legumes (ground nuts, soyabeans and pigeon peas) was initiated in 1996/97 season at Mwimba Research Station in Kasungu Malawi. During the first season, all the land was under tobacco. In 1997/98 season rotation crops were implemented. In 1998/99 season Tobacco-Grass-Tobacco or Tobacco-Legume-Tobacco system will be analysed, and discussed. Results from Tobacco-Legume or Tobacco-Grass have shown that only Soyabeans var ocepa 4 was susceptible to rootknot nematode and therefore not suitable as a rotation crop with tobacco. However, soyabeans left behind more N than either groundnuts or pigeon peas as evidenced by the vigour and darkness of the tobacco plants. Groundnuts, pigeon peas and grasses were suitable short-term rotation crops. Detailed results for three years will be presented.