Hump and hollow, occasionally termed "flipping", is a technique of contouring
pastures
Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or swine ...
to improve productivity especially on the
West Coast of New Zealand.
The technique, used on
peat
Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficient ...
soils and in areas of high rainfall, allows for faster
water runoff
Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...
and lowers the level the water table.
In a three-year trial at Kowhitirangi on the West Coast of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
where the annual rainfall is 3000mm, an improvement of 14% was made when compared with no drainage.
Hump and hollowing is increasingly used on the West Coast and concerns have been raised about the effects on water quality. There is also an effect on soil structure, catchment hydrology, and modifications to habitat.
See also
*
Agriculture in New Zealand
In New Zealand, agriculture is the largest sector of the tradable economy. The country exported NZ$46.4 billion worth of agricultural products (raw and manufactured) in the 12 months to June 2019, 79.6% of the country's total exported goods. T ...
References
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Agriculture in New Zealand