Paper short abstract:

Overexploitation of soil in the 20th and 21st centuries created problems related to maintaining the fertility of soil. Based on these problems, ways to develop harmony in a Nature- Society system have surfaced. This paper examines the value of folk traditions using leguminous plants.

Paper long abstract:

Historically, many farming societies in Europe, Asia, Africa and America developed a model of farming based on cultivating a mixture of plants and using live leguminous plants as an important natural stimulant for raising soil fertility. This mixture of plants and its interchange on cultivated land, has an important value on the global and local levels. Taking into consideration Folk knowledge regarding soil fertility, by using leguminous plants to maintain high levels of soil fertility, is an important component in understanding the meaning of biodiversity. Modern Nature scientists express the urgency in maintaining biodiversity for solving problems of sustainability in agriculture. This paper reviews some folk traditions in agriculture which are valuable today for maintaining soil fertility