Fallow is a farming technique in which arable land is left without sowing for one or more vegetative cycles. The goal of fallowing is to allow the land to recover and store organic matter while retaining moisture and disrupting the lifecycles of pathogens by temporarily removing their hosts .
What is field fallow and why is it important?
Field fallowing is one of the most important activities of the agricultural system . In this fallowing activity ,the farmers do not harvest in a particular land for one or more years. This helps to regain the natural fertility and nutrients of that harvesting land which was lost due to continuous harvesting.
What was the fallow field used for?
‘Fallow’ periods were traditionally used by farmers to maintain the natural productivity of their land . The benefits of leaving land fallow for extended periods include rebalancing soil nutrients, re-establishing soil biota, breaking crop pest and disease cycles, and providing a haven for wildlife.
Why is fallow land used?
The essential characteristic of fallow land is that it is left to recover , normally for the whole of a crop year. ... bare land with no crops at all. land with spontaneous natural growth which may be used as feed or ploughed in. land sown exclusively for the production of green manure (green fallow)
What is the importance of fallow system?
Other benefits of fallowing soil are that it raises levels of carbon, nitrogen and organic matter , improves moisture holding capacity, and increases beneficial microorganisms in the soil. Studies have shown that a field that has been allowed to lie fallow for just a year produces a higher crop yield when it is planted.
What does it mean to leave a field fallow?
Something that is fallow is left unused. ... Fallow comes from the old English word for plowing, and refers to the practice of leaving fields unplowed in rotation — when a field lies fallow, the soil regains nutrients that are sucked up by over-planting.
Why do farmers leave fields fallow?
Fallow is a farming technique in which arable land is left without sowing for one or more vegetative cycles. The goal of fallowing is to allow the land to recover and store organic matter while retaining moisture and disrupting the lifecycles of pathogens by temporarily removing their hosts.
Why are fertilizers not good for the soil?
Though chemical fertilizers increase crop production; their overuse has hardened the soil, decreased fertility , strengthened pesticides, polluted air and water, and released greenhouse gases, thereby bringing hazards to human health and environment as well.
What do you mean by field fallow Class 8?
Answer: Allowing a field to remain free of crops for one or more seasons is called field fallow. It allows the field to regain nutrients.
What is the difference between crop rotation and mixed cropping?
Crop rotation means the practice of growing different crops in succession on the land chiefly to preserve the productive capacity of soil. Mixed cultivation is an agricultural system in which a farmer conduct different agricultural practice together, such as cash crops and livestock.
What name is given to the land which is left free for 1 to 5 years uncultivated?
The land which is left uncultivated for more than five agricultural years is called culturable wasteland .
What are the types of fallow land?
There are two types of fallow land: true fallow and occupied fallow .
How much land is fallow in India?
As of 2019, fallow land in India was 26,718 thousand hectares that accounts for 25.85% of the world’s fallow land.
What is a fallow period?
: a period in which a writer does no writing .
Is fallow good for soil?
It should be recognized that large-scale, long-term water transfers that utilize fallowing have the potential to impart significant changes to local soil quality and crop production. Studies have shown that land fallowing is beneficial to soil quality , crop production and overall long-term sustainability.
How is field fallow helpful in replenishing the soil?
When we leave the field undisturbed without growing any crop on it, a lot of humus grow in it along with soil bacteria. This way soil becomes rich in nutrients. Thus, vitality of the soil is regained for the next crop . This way field fallow helps in replenishing the soil.
