Traditional fallows in Latin America

Traditional fallow systems of Latin America have not been extensively studied from either a socioeconomic or biophysical viewpoint. Only in the past decade have some of these systems — modified shifting cultivation in the Amazon, the bracatinga (Mimosa scabrella) fallow of southeastern Brazil, the babassu (Attalea spp.) system of the Amazon margins, and short bush fallows mostly for Phaseolus bean (the so-called frijol tapado) — received any attention. Over the past century, traditional cultivators have adopted several legumes such as Mucuna spp., Lathyrus nigrivalis, Canavalia spp., and Senna guatemalensis as green manures or managed fallows in food crop production systems, which have recently been the object of studies by social and biological scientists. Longer, monospecific fallows involving woody legumes have been studied to varying degrees. The legumes include Senna guatemalensis, Mimosa tenuiflora, and Gliricidia sepium. Systems in which crop production is alternated with animal grazing of secondary vegetation include the caatinga of Northeast Brazil, the espinales of Chile, the matorrales of northern Mexico, and the chaco of Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia. A classification is proposed depending on the nature of the species (woody or nonwoody) and their composition (mono- or multispecies) and land management (burned or not). Much work is still needed in more complete characterization, determination of economic importance and potential, understanding the relationships among components, studies of nutrient cycling, and verification of the effects of shorter fallow periods of these systems.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.