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.

---

Etymology

Origin of dryland farming

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Example Sentences

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

From Seattle Times • Aug. 29, 2023

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 • Jun. 18, 2022

If Nebraska claims that winter water under the compact, Schneider says the alternative — non-irrigated dryland farming — means reduced crop yields, fewer farms and fewer jobs.

From Seattle Times • May 18, 2022

Not only was it ecologically diverse, but its soil was particularly rich and lent itself wonderfully to dryland farming.

From Washington Times • Jun. 10, 2018

It has to be:  Nichols doesn't irrigate, and with less than six inches of precipitation a year, his wheat crop is already on the edge of what's considered possible for dryland farming.

From Scientific American • Nov. 26, 2012