Strip cropping is a method of farming that involves cultivating a field partitioned into long, narrow strips which are alternated in a crop rotation system. It is used when a slope is too steep or when there is no alternative method of preventing soil erosion. Strip cropping helps to stop soil erosion by creating natural dams for water, helping to preserve the strength of the soil. Certain layers of plants will absorb minerals and water from the soil more effectively than others. When water reaches the weaker soil that lacks the minerals needed to make it stronger, it normally washes it away. When strips of soil are strong enough to slow down water from moving through them, the weaker soil cant wash away like it normally would. Because of this, farmland stays fertile much longer.
Strip cropping can also be used to improve soil health or support primary species growth. Secondary species seldom bring additional income to yield producers but are the cheapest conservation tillage technique. In particular, strip farming tackles wind and water erosion, improves water infiltration, retains soil moisture, and reduces soil compaction. Strip cropping is also used to reduce soil erosion, both on sloped and flat fields, especially by combining species with different root systems. Deep-rooted plants fix the soil with their roots and protect it from rill water erosion, being a natural barrier to soil erosion.
