What is contour plowing?
Contour plowing follows the contours of hills and slopes, rather than orienting crop rows up and down a slope. Contour plowing furrows run crosswise to the slope, slowing runoff and allowing the soil to absorb rainfall rather than wash away.
How does contour plowing help soil conservation?
Contour farming can reduce soil erosion by as much as 50 percent compared to up and down hill farming. By reducing sediment and runoff and increasing water infiltration, contouring promotes better water quality.
What is the purpose of contour plowing and terracing a hill?
Contour plowing was a method of plowing furrows that follow the curves of the land rather than straight up and down slopes. Furrows that run up and down a slope form a channel that can quickly carry away seeds and topsoil. Contour plowing forms ridges, slows the water flow and helps save precious topsoil.
What is the advantage of contour line?
Advantages of using contour to represent relief on the map It depict slope and size of different landforms on map. By reading contour interval it is easy to determine the different elevation of the landscape. It provide the basis for coloring method.
What is Contour ploughing in soil conservation?
Contour bunding or contour farming or Contour ploughing is the farming practice of plowing and/or planting across a slope following its elevation contour lines. Contour ploughing helps to reduce soil erosion.
Why is contour Ploughing the best method to conserve soil in hilly areas?
(iv) Contour Ploughing: Ploughing is done at right angles to the hill slope, following the natural contours of the hill. It makes the ridges and furrows break the flow of water down the hill. As gullies are less, this prevents excessive soil loss.
How is contour plowing a method of conservation?
One of the earliest methods of conservation tillage came to be known as contour plowing, or plowing on the contour. Tilling the soil along the gentle slopes of a piece of cropland, instead of up and down the gradient, prevents fertile topsoil from being carried downhill by flowing rainwater.
When to use contour farming for Soil Conservation?
Contour farming is most effective when used with other soil conservation methods like strip cropping, terrace farming, and the use of cover crops. The proper combination of such farming methods can be determined by various climatic and soil conditions of that given area.
Why are contour lines important for soil erosion?
These contour lines create a water break which reduces the formation of rills and gullies during times of heavy water run-off; which is a major cause of soil erosion. The water break also allows more time for the water to settle into the soil.
Why is it important to plow the slopes of crops?
Tilling the soil along the gentle slopes of a piece of cropland, instead of up and down the gradient, prevents fertile topsoil from being carried downhill by flowing rainwater. This preventive measure is most important in areas that are prone to violent storms or heavy rains.
What is the purpose of Contour ploughing in farming?
Contour plowing or contour farming or Contour ploughing is the farming practice of plowing and/or planting across a slope following its elevation contour lines. These contour lines create a water break which reduces the formation of rills and gullies during times of heavy water run-off; which is a major cause of soil erosion.
Which is the best method of soil conservation?
1. Contour Plowing – Originating in ancient Phoenicia, Contour Plowing involves plowing grooves into the desired farmland, then planting the crop furrows in the grooves and following the contours. It a very effective way for farmland on slopes to prevent run off improve crop yields. 2.
How is water retention achieved in contour plowing?
A more enhanced version of Contour Plowing, maximum water retention is achieved by taking into account all the watershed properties when making the contour lines. The Keyline refers to topographic features linked to water flow. This allows the water to run off directly into an existing water channel, and prevent soil erosion caused by the water.
What happens when you plow parallel to a contour?
At one end of a contour the slope of the land will always be steeper than at the other. Thus when plowing parallel runs paralleling any contour the plow furrows soon deviate from a true contour. Rain water in these furrows will thus flow sideways along the falling “contour” line.
