Crop diversification refers to the addition of new crops or cropping systems to agricultural production on a particular farm taking into account the different returns from value-added crops with complementary marketing opportunities.Crop diversification leads to increase in income on small farm holdings, withstands the price fluctuation, help in mitigating ill-effects of aberrant weather balance of food demand, improves fodder for livestock animals, helps in conservation of natural resources (soil, water, etc.), minimize environmental pollution, reduces dependence on off-farm inputs, decreases insect pests, diseases and weed problems.
Crop Rotation involves planting different crops in the same area at different times of the year or in different year. Crop rotation promotes differential uptake of nutrients due to different nature of crops and this can aid in conservation of soil nutrients. The introduction of legumes for crop rotation can aid to the addition of nitrogen to the field and enhance the condition of nutrients in the field ultimately reducing the requirement of fertilizers. The growing of same crop in the same field promotes the habitat for pests and crop rotation thus can break the life cycle of pests and diseases in the crop. This ultimately leads to the conservation of the nature.