Examples of methods for reducing excess soil moisture loss include following: Spreading manure or compost over the soil – this minimizes evapotranspiration and also provides valuable nutrients to the soil through processes of decomposition Mulching – mulch is a layer of organic (or inorganic) material that is placed on the root zone of the plants. Examples of mulch materials include straw, wood chips, peat. Inorganic mulch in form of plastic sheeting is also used. Mulching is most suited for low to medium rainfall areas, and less suited for areas with very wet conditions. Conservation tillage – reducing or, in extreme cases, completely eliminating the tillage to maintain healthy soil organic levels which increases the soils capacity to absorb and retain water. Conservation tillage is a specific type of such approach where crop residue is left on the soil to reduce evapotranspiration, and protect soil surface from wind, sun and heavy rain impacts. Crop rotation – growing different types of crops every season helps improve soil structure and thus water holding capacity. Examples include rotating deep-rooted and shallow rooted crops that make use of previously unused soil moisture, as plants draw water from different depth levels within the soil. Crop rotation may also improve soil fertility and help control pests and diseases. Green manuring – growing of plant materials with the sole purpose of adding to the soil for improved organic matter and nutrients. The improved soil quality then also improves water retention capacity. Deep tillage – suited for some areas and soils, deep tillage can help increase porosity and permeability of the soil to increase its water absorption capacity. Mixed cropping and interplanting - cultivating a combination of crops with different planting times and different length of growth periods. Contour ploughing – by ploughing the soil along the contour instead of up- and downward slopes, the velocity of runoff is reduced, creating even barriers, and more water is retained in the soils and distributed more equally across the cropland. Strip cropping - growing erosion permitting crops and erosion resisting crops in alternate strips. Other soil moisture conservation techniques may include rainwater harvesting to minimize runoff and collect water for use on site. For more technologies on this see technology sheet Rainwater harvesting for infiltration.