What farming feature consists of steps carved into hillsides to create flat areas for farming?

• A. Terracing
• B. Contour Ploughing
• C. Strip Cultivation
• D. Cover Cropping

Answer: (A)

Terracing creates flat, level platforms on a slope by carving steps into the hillside. Each shelf holds soil and water, which reduces erosion from rain and provides usable farming ground. It also helps with irrigation, since water can be directed along the tops of the terraces. This method is common in hilly regions where flat land is scarce, such as the rice terraces found in parts of Asia and the Andes.

Contour ploughing, by contrast, runs furrows along the curves of the land to slow water but doesn’t create steps. Strip cultivation uses alternating strips of crops and soil cover, and cover cropping relies on planting cover crops to protect soil—neither forms the stepped, flat surfaces Terracing does.