Legumes for Efficient Utilization of Summer Fallow

Abstract

"The uncertainty of the favorable climate for continuous farming in many regions of the world limits food production for catering to the needs of the increasing population and changing food consumption patterns. Arid and semiarid regions of the world are considered dryland farming regions. The unreliable and highly variable rainfall pattern, drought, unproductive lands, high evapotranspiration (20–25% of the total water use) and salt deposition in the soil are the main challenges in these regions. They found different ways to sustain their production sustainably. Of these, fallow cropping is a primary one and has been employed successfully to alleviate the challenges caused by unfavorable climate for farming. The traditional fallow system (weed fallow or bare fallow) is the oldest technique wherein the land is left uncultivated for a certain period to restore the soil nutrient status and soil moisture. However, during this period land is unproductive thus not profitable for the farmers and it takes a longer time for the restoration. This practice was suitable for the earlier era where there was not much pressure on the agriculture sector for food production. Later this practice was replaced by an improved fallow system. In improved fallow, selected crops based on their beneficial characteristics were grown and managed during the fallow period. This approach not only provides additional income but also restore the land faster than the bare fallow. The crops species employed in the fallow system decides the degree of success and therefore, legume crops are highly favored for this purpose as they provide various benefits."