agriculture de décrue

CONT: [Under] certain conditions, flood-water farming was the only, and essential, method for producing crops in the desert. The intensity and number of floods determine the size of the area that can be sown. The large fluctuations from year to year make such farming a very precarious source of livelihood; in certain years, the floods may be rare or short-lived, and the soil will not be moistened to a depth that is sufficient to justify sowing.