Cultivators cut weeds below the surface and sow seeds into the stubble of the previous year's crop. This is an example of which practice?

• A. Fallow periods
• B. Ripping
• C. Strip fallow
• D. Stop ploughing

Answer: (D)

This shows a conservation tillage approach where soil disturbance is minimized and crop residues are left on the surface. By using a cultivator to cut weeds just below the surface and sowing seeds into the existing stubble from the previous year, the land stays covered and the soil isn’t turned over. This is exactly stopping ploughing, a method used to protect soil moisture, reduce erosion, and maintain soil structure.

Fallow periods would involve leaving land unsown for a time, not sowing into stubble. Ripping is deep tillage to break subsurface layers, usually without maintaining surface residue for planting directly into it. Strip fallow means alternating strips of cropped land with fallow, rather than sowing into a full stubble cover.