pelto

Pelto is the Finnish term for a cultivated field, a plot of land set aside for growing crops. In Finnish agriculture, pelto contrasts with pasture land and natural meadows, and it forms the basic unit of arable farming within farms. Pelto parcels vary in size and shape but are typically bounded by hedgerows, ditches, or roads and are managed for seasonal tillage and harvest.

Cultivation on pelto involves tillage, sowing, and harvesting, with common crops including cereals such as barley and oats, as well as potatoes, sugar beet, rapeseed, and forage crops. Field management often includes crop rotation to preserve soil fertility, as well as fertilization and drainage in areas with poor water retention. Modern pelto management may employ mechanized seeding and harvesting, along with precision agriculture techniques that optimize input use. Soil type and climate strongly influence pelto productivity; in Finland's temperate environment, loamy and clay soils on flat to gently rolling terrain are common.

Historically, pelto has been central to Nordic farming and rural landscapes. The arrangement of field parcels and their boundaries has shaped agricultural patterns and countryside appearance for centuries, transitioning from traditional communal practices to privately owned fields and from manual labor to advanced mechanization.