Dry farming began in the 1800s in the US, with farmers using techniques to maximize soil moisture and harvest non-irrigated, drought-tolerant crops. The methods were aided by the government, but overuse led to the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. Dry farming is still used today, and similar techniques like xeriscaping have become popular.
Dry agriculture refers to methods used to farm in semi-arid soils with an average annual rainfall of less than about 20 inches (51 cm). Dry farming methods began in the 1800s in the United States. Farmers in the United States have focused on harvesting non-irrigated, drought-tolerant crops. In other words, crops relied only on the rainfall they received.
Farmers learned the art of preventing evaporation and runoff to get the most out of rainwater, using techniques that maximized the soil’s ability to hold moisture. Wheat was the largest crop to thrive well, but corn, oats, and other crops were also able to grow in dry conditions. In the 20th century, dry farming received widespread adoption and popularity, spurred by the 1907 publication of Hardy Webster Campbell’s Soil Culture Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Scientific Agriculture Adapted to Semi-Arid Regions. Although Americans invented dry farming for themselves during the 19th century, there is evidence to suggest it may have been practiced much earlier by Native Americans.
HW Campbell not only wrote a famous book detailing the art of semi-arid farming, but he helped create the methods and machinery behind dry farming. Hardy invented what is known as a subsoil packer in the 1890s, a piece of machinery that helped create a firm seedbed of soil that would hold more moisture. Other machinery and techniques also helped create flower beds that allowed certain crops to grow in some of the driest conditions.
Farmers have learned to plant seeds deeper; the topsoil was often too dry for seeds to germinate, but the soil underneath could hold moisture. Contour farming used the contour lines of a field to better direct rainfall into flowerbeds and prevent wasteful waste. Farmers have also learned to tend the soil to keep it loose, thereby increasing its ability to absorb moisture. With the right dry farming methods, even California vineyards have been able to thrive and produce respectable quantities of wine.
Dry farming was aided largely by the federal government, which created the Bureau of Dry Land Agriculture in 1905, an extension of the larger Department of Agriculture. Farmers in the Great Plains were very successful in semi-arid agriculture. Before long, the region was one of the largest grain producers in the world.
The abuse of dry farming has had a dark side, however. By the 1930s, dry farmers had devastated much of the soil without giving it enough time to rebuild. The grass that normally held the topsoil in place no longer rooted the soil in many parts of the Midwest. As a result, severe drought conditions in the 1930s coupled with high winds culminated in the Dust Bowl. During the Dust Bowl, loose, dry topsoil was picked up by the wind and blown into the atmosphere in such quantities that it darkened the sky with menacing black clouds. Those dust clouds were known to sweep through cities with enough mass and force to bury seated cars. Eventually, American farmers corrected the excesses of dry farming to ensure a powdery never happened again.
Dry farming is still used today and helps many crops thrive around the world. Other similar agricultural and horticultural techniques have become popular. Xeriscaping, for example, is based on a minimalist approach to irrigation, growing crops and gardens that rely on the more conservative use of water. Many urban gardeners have adopted xeriscaping as an environmentally friendly method of landscaping.
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