Monocropping

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Monocropping is the agricultural practice of growing the same crop year after year on the same land, without crop rotation through other crops. While economically a very efficient system, allowing for specialization in equipment and crop production, monocropping is also controversial, as it often leads to depletion of the nutrients of the soil and problems with weeds and pesticides. These in turn lead to the monocropping system being dependent on pesticides and artificial fertilizers. Monocropping is most frequently practiced in industrialised countries' agricultural systems; maize (corn), soybeans and wheat are three common crops often grown using monocropping techniques.