Contour plowing

Contour plowing or contour farming is the farming practice of plowing and/or planting across a slope following its elevation contour lines. These contour line furrows create a water break, reducing the formation of rills and gullies during heavy precipitation and allowing more time for the water to settle into the soil.^[1] In contour plowing, the ruts made by the plow run perpendicular rather than parallel to the slopes, generally furrows that curve around the land and are level. This method is also known for preventing tillage erosion.^[2] Tillage erosion is the soil movement and erosion by tilling a given plot of land.^[3] A similar practice is contour bunding where stones are placed around the contours of slopes. Contour plowing has been proven to reduce fertilizer loss, power, time consumption, and wear on machines, as well as to increase crop yields and reduce soil erosion.

Soil erosion prevention practices such as this can drastically decrease negative effects associated with soil erosion, such as reduced crop productivity, worsened water quality, lower effective reservoir water levels, flooding, and habitat destruction.^[4] Contour farming is considered an active form of sustainable agriculture.^[5]