Dryland farming
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Dryland farming is an agricultural technique for cultivating land which receives little rainfall. Dryland farming is used in the Great Plains region of North American and in other grain growing regions such as the steppes of Eurasia, for example in Ukraine and southern Russia as well as Argentina. Winter wheat is the typical crop although skilled dryland farmers sometimes grow corn, beans or even watermelons. Successful dryland farming is possible with as little as 15 inches of precipitation a year, but much more successful with 20 inches or more.
In marginal regions, a farmer should be financially able to survive occasional crop failures, perhaps of several years running. A soil which absorbs and holds moisture is helpful as is the practice of leaving stubble standing in the field to catch blowing snow..