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Three-Course Rotation System
A medieval Western European system dividing arable land into three fields rotated yearly among winter grain, spring crops, and fallow, widely adopted…
Timeline
- 501–801Rhineland and Lorraine farming regions · RhinelandThe traditional two-field system (one year cultivation, one year fallow) had low land utilization; Rhineland peasants began dividing arable land into three, attempting to shorten fallow periods and introduce legumes to restore soil fertility.
- c. 1175–1301Île-de-France and the English Midlands · FranceThree-course rotation became the mainstream cultivation system in Western Europe: winter wheat, spring oats/barley, and fallow (or legumes, pasture) rotated yearly, combined with strip fields and common pasture rules, significantly raising grain output.
- 1001–1501Northern and Eastern European expansion zones · Northern EuropeHeavy plows broke heavy clay soils and horse traction improved plowing efficiency, allowing three-course rotation to extend into northern and wetter regions; agricultural surplus supported the growth of urban and artisan populations.
Sources
- Medieval Technology and Social Change — Lynn White Jr. (1962)
- The Agrarian History of Western Europe, A.D. 500–1850 — Slicher van Bath, B. H. (1963)