Therefore, when top soil is carried away or eroded, the remaining soil is not as productive as before and crops do not grow as well. Farmers can protect their soil from erosion in several ways. They can build terraces on sloped land which slow down the water and move it off the field in a controlled manner. They also use contour plowing which means that, instead of plowing up and down the slope, they plow across, or at right angles to the slope. This allows water to soak in and not run off.
Most farmers use a combination of terraces and contour plowing.
When farmers harvest their crop they leave the stubble, or crop residue, on the surface of the soil. This keeps rain drops from striking the soil directly. When rain drops strike bare soil they can cause the soil to pack and water cannot soak in. The farmer only plows the field when he is ready to plant another crop. Some farmers may not plow the field at all.