2. INTRODUCTION
• Fallow period means, after harvesting a
cultivated crop land is left with no crops between
two seasons.
• In the rice cultivation also there is a fallow period
• Fallow crop means, another type of crop which is
cultivated in a fallow land
• Oryza sativa is belongs to family poaceae and it
is a annual crop.in addition to that it is semi-
aquatic plant and it can be cultivated in “Yala”
season and “Maha” season 2
3. • Elusine coracana or finger millet also belongs to
family poaceae and Ravi, Ravana, Oshadi, MI
301, MI 302 can be cultivated as fallow crop.
3
4. FALLOW CROPS FOR PADDY
LAND
• In Sri Lanka mainly paddy cultivated during two
seasons. They are “Yala” season and “Maha”
season.
• In between these two seasons some farmers
cultivate fallow crops.
• When we select a fallow crop for paddy land, we
have to consider about following factors.
1. It should be a short duration variety
2. The require soil conditions should be match
with paddy land’s soil condition
4
5. • Paddy is a semi aquatic plant. So during the
cultivation up to the harvesting period
comparatively large amount of of water is added
to the paddy field. So the soil is rich in moisture.
So that moisture can be used by the fallow crop
also.
• Normally using fallow crops for paddy lands are
green gram, soya bean, maize( in upland paddy
fields)
5
6. FINGER MILLET AS A
FALLOW CROP IN PADDY
LAND
• Finger millet can be cultivated as a fallow crop in
paddy land. Specially low country this is
practicing
• After harvesting of paddy, finger millet can be
grow.
• We can practice broadcasting or row seeding
• The recommended varieties that can be cultivated
are M.I 301, M.I 302, Ravi, Ravana, Oshadi
• Seed rate of this crop is 8kg/ha
6
7. • If we need we can prepare the land by using fine
tiller. Otherwise special land preparation is no
need
• Usually within 90 days we can get the yield
7
8. ADVANTAGES OF FALLOW
CROPPING
• Land use efficiency is high
• Further can earn extra income
• Low requirement of irrigation
• It can prevent the soil erosion of paddy land
during the fallow period
8
9. DISADVANTAGES OF FALLOW
CROPPING
• The soil nutrient amount getting reduced soon.
So the requirement of fertilizer is getting
increased
• Because of fertilizer application, it may be a land
pollution.
9
10. SUMMARY
• In the paddy cultivation farmers keep a certain
time period as a fallow season. (not growing
anything)
• But a suitable crop varieties can be grown within
that period in the paddy fields, after the paddy is
harvested
• The soil condition and the moisture level of the
harvested paddy land is suitable for finger millet
• There are so many advantages and disadvantages
of growing finger millet as a fallow crop in
paddy land 10
