Which of the following is the best method for preventing soil erosion in an agricultural area?
(A) Slash-and-bum agricuiture
(B) Integrated pest management
(C) Monocrop farming
(D) Terrace farming
Answer. (D) Terrace farming
Terrace farming is a form of farming where terraced, or leveled steps are created on sloping landscapes. Terraces prevent mudslides and erosion and help the fertility of the land. These terraces are thus very useful because they serve as a barrier to erosion by taming the flow of rainwater and hence averting occurrences like earth-sliding. Platforms are built by flattening sections on the slope and then creating flat horizontal ridges or heaps from these flat sections. It enables for much better water approach, soil retention and in fact soil erosion control. In regard to the terrace type of farm, it scores very high in the zones (hilly or mountainous) which one cannot use to practice the traditional flat-land farming. On the one hand, mulching confers soil fertility, regulate the amount of moisture present and increase yields. Other approaches such as the knifeless-slash-and-burn farming techniques, monocrop adjusted farming, integrated pest control and integrated soil management may not be able to directly address the problem of soil erosion in the agricultural areas.