dryland farming

American  

noun

1. a mode of farming, practiced in regions of slight or insufficient rainfall, that relies mainly on tillage methods rendering the soil more receptive of moisture and on the selection of suitable crops.

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Etymology

Origin of dryland farming

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Example Sentences

The Carrizo Plain stretches 50 miles between the Temblor and Caliente mountains, a grassy plain and drainage basin where Chumash, Yokuts and other Indigenous peoples hunted and traded before settlers tried their hand at dryland farming.

From Los Angeles Times

For generations, families like the Mahoneys have practiced “dryland farming,” which means they rely on rain, not irrigation.

From New York Times

Dryland farming has a long history in the arid West, including among Indigenous peoples such as the Hopi, who today carry on their ancient traditions of growing corn, beans and squash relying on the rains.

From Los Angeles Times

As farmers ran out of water, they increasingly switched to what’s called dryland farming, relying on rain alone.

From Seattle Times

Unfortunately, they did not apply dryland farming techniques, or agricultural methods that protect the soil from wind erosion when farmers must do their job without irrigation.

From Salon