The machine rips up the frozen ground in winter into large chunks to block the wind near the surface. This technique is known as which?

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

Answer: (B)

The technique being described aims to reduce wind erosion by creating a rough surface on the soil. Using a ripping implement to break up frozen ground lifts and leaves large chunks on or near the surface. That rough, chunky surface disrupts near-surface wind flow, slowing it down and helping to trap some snow, which protects the soil from being blown away. Ripping is specifically the practice of breaking up hard or frozen soil to create that protective roughness.

The other options describe different approaches to land management. Leaving land fallow in narrow strips or for a period aims to reduce erosion by not farming the ground, rather than by creating a rough surface from ripped soil. Stopping ploughing isn’t about producing the chunky surface described, and fallow periods refer to times when the land is not cultivated at all.