ABSTRACT
References ................................................................................................................................... 436
Fallow management and improvement is as old as agriculture itself. Fallows are currently
still intrinsic parts of many tropical farming systems. The development of agricultural
systems and the spatial dynamics of land use are strongly correlated with the evolution
of fallows patterns. Indeed, some classifications of farming systems have been based
on fallow characteristics, e.g., Boserup (1965) and Ruthenberg (1980). While fallow is
commonly referred to a resting period for agricultural land between two cropping cycles
during which soil fertility is restored, it has more roles than just fertility restoration.
