Fallow

Fallow is a farming technique in which arable land is left without sowing for one or more vegetative cycles. The goal is to recover and store organic matter retain moisture while avoiding pathogens by allowing their cycles to pass without being able to renew themselves due to the lack of available hosts.

A ploughed field left unsown

Fallowing is also essential to biodiversity, which ensures the presence of predators which can control pests.

It is a technique often used in crop rotation. Existing weeds may be affected by predators and pests. These, along with the use of green manure to can ensure the restoration of depleted nutrients to the soil composition before another crop cycle.

See also

• Dryland Farming
• Crop Rotation
• No-till Farming
• Shifting Cultivation