Any developed civilized state originates from the skills and experience of a person placed in difficult conditions in front of nature. This applies to ancient people who were able to achieve incredible results through their efforts, on the basis of which we built a modern society. The basis of each country is its economy, and the basis of the economy is agriculture. It is his level of development that affects the standard of living of the population of ancient states, including Ancient Russia. Even then, a man understood that one should not only take from nature, you need to understand it and give it something. This contributed to the diversity of agricultural systems. One of such systems in ancient Russia is fallow.
Agriculture Development
Agricultural skills came to us from a primitive society. The beginning of independent cultivation of plants was laid in the Neolithic era. It was then that primitive people switched from hunting and banal collecting plants to their reproduction. According to legend, women after harvesting missed a few grains on the road. After a while, they saw that new sprouts appeared at this place. This event gave an impetus to the beginning of the development of agriculture.
According to archaeological data, the initial occupation of agriculture dates back to the 4th millennium BC, and in America - even earlier. What is fallow, of course, did not know yet, but the development of agriculture has already begun. In different places, it developed in different ways. Some tribes led a settled lifestyle from the very beginning. Most were nomads. Already with an increase in the number of participants in the tribe, nomads also began to lead a sedentary lifestyle. This is associated with increased use of soil, and methods of cultivation.
A uniform division of the territory into pastures, arable land and forests began. In order not to deplete the natural potential of the soil, various field cultivation systems were used. But overuse of resources and an increase in population have led to a decrease in fertility.
Education of Ancient Russia
After the development of agriculture and the formation of the tribal system, a new stage has come - the formation of states. The first Slavic state is Kievan Rus. It was formed during the unification of the tribes of glades, northerners and Volhynians around a single peculiar prototype of the administrative center - Kiev. From an economic point of view, Ancient Russia had a favorable location, since the Dnieper River flowed through its territory - an important waterway for merchant ships bound for Byzantium.
The development of the future state was influenced not only by income from passing merchant ships, but also by internal achievements, which is an important part of the history of Ancient Russia. The fallow was used as one of the existing farming systems. One of the positive conditions for the development of the economy is its location in the forest-steppe zone. In these natural conditions, they used both a slash-fire system and a fallow in Ancient Russia, which improved productivity. For this, advanced tools were used: plows, scythes, sickles, and so on.
Crops
Although agriculture in Ancient Russia was developed, there were quite a few crops grown. The assortment of vegetable crops was scarce. The main focus was on cereals: wheat, rye, just oats. Of the vegetables, only turnips, beets, cabbage and legumes were known. Flax was also of great importance. It could not only be used as food, but also for other needs. So, fabric linen for clothes was made from flax fiber.
Fallowing in Ancient Russia helped to get the maximum yield from a small number of crops. This small number of crops made it possible for the soil to recover after harvest years. Thus, people provided peace to the earth, protected it from exhaustion in order to obtain the maximum harvest in the future.
Farming systems
There are several farming systems. Three-field and two-field were common. Arable land was divided into 2-3 parts. One or two of them were used for crops, and the rest was left and not disturbed for a year. This method was used to enrich the soil and saturate it with the necessary elements. Later, this method has become obsolete.
We continue the description of the fallow in Ancient Russia. There was a slash and fire system, mainly in the northwestern part of the state. This method lasted for several years. Initially, trees were cut down. A year later, they were burned, and ash from them served as fertilizer of the soil. After a couple of years, the soil was still depleted, and this provoked a search for new places for agriculture.
For a long time, the fallow lasted in Ancient Russia. This definition is known to few today, but this method of cultivating the land has lingered in history for a long time.
Southeast Farming System
Deposition in Ancient Russia is the simplest and most sparing system. Its essence lies in the rational use of land resources. The territory of arable soils has been used for several years in a row for crops. When productivity declined, it signaled that the soil was depleted. Then the territory was abandoned, and the crops were transferred to another field. For several years, the land was restored, nothing was grown in these territories, but they were used as pasture for grazing. At the end of the required period, rested territory, fertilized with animal excrement and humus of wild plants, was again used for plowing. In simple words, fallow in Ancient Russia is a method in which soil depletion is alternated with saturation and rest.
Modern farming systems
Unfortunately, in our time, agriculture does not take into account the need for soil for the restoration process. Today, yields are being raised with additional chemicals.
A full crop provides a comprehensive system of plant protection. This includes the use of technology, the use of pesticides, the observance of optimal terms and conditions for agricultural activities, the selection of optimal precursor crops. Many already do not know what a fallow is.