Single field economy

Single-field farming is an agricultural land use system in which only one fruit - mostly rye in Central Europe - has been grown on the same field for years ("eternal rye cultivation"). It is a typical land use that was developed in the High Middle Ages. She was mainly due to Esch corridors spread while on Won corridors the more profitable three-field system was applied.

The single-field economy, which was widespread in northwest Germany, Holland and in the east up to the Elbe, is an adaptation to the agricultural boundary conditions. In these regions, many areas were too damp for arable farming. They were used as common areas of cooperatively managed grassland . The few suitable arable land had to be cultivated with grain.

The single-field economy was usually accompanied by pest fertilization , in which the humus and nutrient-rich upper soil layers of the areas used as pasture were cut off and applied to the arable land for fertilization. This led to serious soil degradation on the pastures . Because of the rainy oceanic climate and the sandy subsoil, mostly heaths formed on these .

Single-field farming therefore represents a very intensive form of land use. In contrast, grassland was farmed extensively .