The farming technique which can be adopted as a method of soil conservation is?

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which farming technique can be used to conserve soil, meaning it protects soil from erosion and loss of fertility.

Step 2: Explain the concept Soil conservation methods protect the soil from erosion and nutrient depletion. Common ones include:

• Cover cropping
• Crop rotation
• Contour ploughing
• Terracing
• Mulching
• Afforestation and planting shelterbelts

Step 3: Evaluate each option

• A. Bush fallowing: The land is left to rest for some years so that vegetation can regrow and fertility is restored. It does help the soil recover, but it is mainly a traditional method of restoring fertility after cultivation. It is not an active conservation technique, and it needs plenty of land.
• B. Monoculture: Growing one crop on the same land year after year. It drains the same nutrients repeatedly and encourages pests and disease, so it harms the soil.
• C. Shifting cultivation: Farmers clear land, farm it until fertility drops, then move on. It involves clearing and burning vegetation, which exposes soil to erosion, so it is not a conservation method.
• D. Cover cropping: Low-growing crops such as beans, melon (egusi), or sweet potato are planted to cover the soil surface. Their leaves reduce the impact of raindrops, their roots bind the soil, and they add organic matter. This directly reduces erosion and keeps the soil fertile.

Step 4: Answer Cover cropping is the farming technique that is actively used to conserve soil, so the answer is D.

Tip: In soil conservation questions, look for words linked to covering, binding, or protecting the soil (cover crops, mulching, terracing, contour ploughing). Be wary of options that involve clearing, burning, or repeating one crop, because these damage soil.