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Leaving some of the available farm land fallow is part of a strategy known as crop rotation. Crop rotation has many benefits, including replenishing nitrogen in the soil, avoiding buildup of pathogens and pests, and to avoid the depletion of specific nutrients needed for a given crop.

Early in the middle ages Europeans generally used a two field system, meaning they farmed half of their land annually, and left the other half fallow. Beginning roughly around the year 1000 there was a gradual shift to a three field system. Under the three field system one third of the land is planted late in the year with a winter crop, like wheat or rye, which would lay dormant through the winter and be harvested the following summer. One third for land was planted in the spring with a crop like beans, peas, oats, or barley. One third was left fallow. The use of each field then rotated with each passing year.

The three field system had several advantages. First, it put about 16% more land into food production each year, meaning more food was available. It also helped spread the periods of heavy labor, such as harvest and planting, over the course of the year. By frequently planting legume crops such as beans and peas essential nitrogen was returned to the soil. Medieval people didn't know what nitrogen was, or the other scientific benefits of crop rotation, but they understood that it clearly helped increase crop yields.

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What is the difference between fallow land and arable land?

Fallow land is uncultivated land left to rest and replenish fertility, whereas arable land is land used for growing crops. Fallow land helps prevent soil exhaustion and erosion, while arable land is actively used for agricultural production.


What is meant by current fallow land?

Land is periodically left idle to recuperate. That land that is it is not planted to a crop is called fallow land. Since a farmer can't live without income he only leaves a portion of the land lie fallow at any one time. Whatever land is not raising a crop at some given time is "current fallow land".


What does it mean for land to lie fallow?

When land lies fallow, it is left unplanted and unused for a period of time to allow it to recover fertility and nutrients. This practice can help prevent soil depletion and maintain the long-term productivity of the land.


Why is land left fallow?

Farmland is sometimes 'left fallow' meaning unseeded so the soil can gain nutrients over that period. You cannot keep on growing the same kind of crops year after year or it depletes the soil of certatin nutrients.


What do you call a field when it is not in use?

Fallow is the term we use to describe land that is left unsown or uncultivated. That is done to help restore the fertility of the land.Fallow is the term we use to describe land that is left unsown or uncultivated. That is done to help restore the fertility of the land.Fallow is the term we use to describe land that is left unsown or uncultivated. That is done to help restore the fertility of the land.Fallow is the term we use to describe land that is left unsown or uncultivated. That is done to help restore the fertility of the land.


What is fallow farmland?

A fallow farmland a where a farmland has lots of crops and animals on it. It only has the word fallow in it,is because the farmland was onced fallowed by people and now its called a fallow farmland.


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