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

See Examples For:

dryland farming

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

Some residents east of the Cascade crest welcome the fresh opportunities of solar, which can offer lease fees far exceeding the per-acre earnings from ranching and dryland farming.

From Seattle Times ● May 2, 2021

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

Although Nichols remains stoic about the potential that climate change could eventually have on his livelihood, his innovative dryland farming methods enable his crops to better handle low moisture conditions. 

From Scientific American ● Nov. 26, 2012