What is "summer fallow"

Summer \Sum"mer\, n. [OE. sumer, somer, AS. sumor, sumer; akin to OFries. sumur, D. zomer, OS. sumar, G. sommer, OHG. & Icel. sumar, Dan. sommer, Sw. sommar, W. haf, Zend hama, Skr. sam[=a] year. [root]292.] The season of the year in which the sun shines most directly upon any region; the warmest period of the year. Note: North of the equator summer is popularly taken to include the months of June, July, and August. Astronomically it may be considered, in the northern hemisphere, to begin with the summer solstice, about June 21st, and to end with the autumnal equinox, about September 22d. Indian summer, in North America, a period of warm weather late in autumn, usually characterized by a clear sky, and by a hazy or smoky appearance of the atmosphere, especially near the horizon. The name is derived probably from the custom of the Indians of using this time in preparation for winter by laying in stores of food. Saint Martin's summer. See under Saint. Summer bird (Zo["o]l.), the wryneck. [Prov. Eng.] Summer colt, the undulating state of the air near the surface of the ground when heated. [Eng.] Summer complaint (Med.), a popular term for any diarrheal disorder occurring in summer, especially when produced by heat and indigestion. Summer coot (Zo["o]l.), the American gallinule. [Local, U.S.] Summer cypress (Bot.), an annual plant ( Kochia Scoparia) of the Goosefoot family. It has narrow, ciliate, crowded leaves, and is sometimes seen in gardens. Summer duck. (Zo["o]l.)

1. The wood duck.

2. The garganey, or summer teal. See Illust. of Wood duck, under Wood. Summer fallow, land uncropped and plowed, etc., during the summer, in order to pulverize the soil and kill the weeds. Summer rash (Med.), prickly heat. See under Prickly. Summer sheldrake (Zo["o]l.), the hooded merganser. [Local, U.S.] Summer snipe. (Zo["o]l.)

   1. The dunlin.

   2. The common European sandpiper.

3. The green sandpiper.

   Summer tanager (Zo["o]l.), a singing bird ( Piranga rubra) native of the Middle and Southern United States. The male is deep red, the female is yellowish olive above and yellow beneath. Called also summer redbird.

   Summer teal (Zo["o]l.), the blue-winged teal. [Local, U.S.]

   Summer wheat, wheat that is sown in the spring, and matures during the summer following. See Spring wheat.

   Summer yellowbird. (Zo["o]l.) See Yellowbird.

alt. Land uncropped and plowed, etc., during the summer, in order to pulverize the soil and kill the weeds. n. Land uncropped and plowed, etc., during the summer, in order to pulverize the soil and kill the weeds.

Summer fallow, sometimes called fallow cropland, is cropland that is purposely kept out of production during a regular growing season. Resting the ground in this manner allows one crop to be grown using the moisture and nutrients of more than one crop cycle. The summer fallow technique provides enough extra moisture and nutrients to allow the growth of crops which might otherwise not be possible and is closely associated with dryland farming.

Usually this is done in semi-arid regions in order to conserve moisture for the next season. It also provides additional time for crop residues to break down and return nutrients to the soil for the subsequent crop, though this function has become less important since the widespread adoption of chemical fertilizers enabled farmers to artificially add vital nutrients. Fields which are fallow may be tilled or sprayed to control weeds and conserve moisture in the soil. The 1997 Census of Agriculture reported that , almost 5% of the of all cropland, was fallow that year.