Tiling

Land tiling is a traditional agricultural practice reducing the negative impact of drought and desertification. It consists of overturning pick axed soil and fixing it in tiles which are then prepared in order to capture rain or irrigated water. In the process, manure or compost may be added to the soil to further reinforce its structure and increase its productivity.

The aim of this technique is to reduce the impact of drought and redress the desertification of land caused by intense deforestation by capturing rain or irrigated water on the fields and prevent runoff, and by enhancing soil structure.

http://www.fao.org/teca/content/land-tiling-dry-andor-cultivated-areas