What are ridges in agriculture and what are they used for?

At Campos del Abuelo we are always looking for ways to improve. Our quest is to bring healthy, quality products straight from the fields to your home . We have been doing this for a few years, but the truth is that working the land, although tiring, never ceases to give us satisfaction.

Watching plants grow, caring for flowers that will later become fruit, keeping an eye on bees, worrying about watering and the sun... We are passionate about being in contact with nature.

That's why we want to share this work with you . In this article, and directly from the field, we are going to talk about the use of ridges in farming. Eduardo, farmer and founder of Campos del Abuelo, will give us some clues about this technique.

What are ridges?

The ridges are the typical mounds of earth that we see in the countryside. They are rows of earth with small ditches or furrows on the sides . The part that is raised is where we are going to plant and the part that is below is for the water to run off.

Eduardo, for his part, explains it like this:

A ridge is a mound of earth that has several uses. It is mainly used in flood irrigation, where water is applied through a water channel that floods the field. The ridge is used to divide the bed or field, and thus prevent everything from being irrigated at once; it acts as a barrier that stops the water, dividing the area into smaller plots.

In this field planted with lettuce in Clara's field, a fellow farmer, you can see how the lettuce is on the upper part of the ridge and below the irrigation ditch so that the water runs, as Eduardo points out:

What the ridges allow is for water to reach the roots directly, without touching the plant . This prevents moisture from touching the stem and our plant from rotting. And not only that, as our farmer points out:

The ridges also allow for faster irrigation, as the water always enters at a specific point and, instead of waiting for it to reach the end of the field, the irrigation time is shortened. And, of course, the amount of water entering the field is controlled.

The ridge is formed when the land is ploughed . When the plough passes, the land on the sides is raised, while where the plough passes, the furrow is made.

In this field planted with carrots, you can also see the ridges very clearly. And of course, you can appreciate how good they look:

About the use of this technique

This furrow made in the earth has been used by mankind since the beginning of agriculture . As we explained in this article on how agriculture has advanced in society, the processes for cultivating have undergone changes since the Neolithic onwards, but many techniques have also been preserved from ancient times.

This technique has been used for years to control flood irrigation, as Eduardo said before. In some places, this type of irrigation is not used as much, as it has been replaced by drip irrigation.

But, as you can see in the pictures of our fellow farmers' farms, ridges are still being built because they are still useful, especially for growing potatoes , strawberries or courgettes . 

This varies depending on the type of plant being planted. Eduardo specifies which type of ridge is best to use in each case:

The ridge is used in planting, depending on the type of tree or crop. For example, in citrus trees, the tree can be planted on the ridge or at ground level. If planted on a ridge, these are made along the field and about five meters apart from each other.

For vegetables, the distance and height of the ridges vary depending on the type of vegetable, and smaller ridges are used so that the plants are not at ground level , reducing problems related to flooding caused by rain or even during irrigation.

Another advantage is that you can access the crops by stepping on the furrows without setting foot on the cultivated land. As the land has been ploughed, it will remain soft and the plants will feel very comfortable.

Strawberries, for example, are still cultivated using the ridge method because it is much more effective than any other. Look at this image to see how good those strawberries from Xàtiva from our colleague Quique look:

Although agriculture has advanced and today there is new machinery and technology to achieve greater production, at Campos del Abuelo, we are on the side of those who prefer to grow products organically.

This means using nature-friendly techniques and methods, treating the environment as an ecosystem that must be cared for and maintained.

If you are interested in how organic products are grown , in this article, together with Clara and Lola, fellow farmers, we explore several techniques.

Ridges may seem anachronistic (that is, not typical of the time) to those who use machinery in their fields, but they are still an ancient method . This makes them, in turn, an infallible method.

We hope that you have understood what the use of ridges in the field is all about. And that, the next time you pass by a sown field, you will identify them and know why they are there.

Remember that at Campos del Abuelo you can buy quality fruits and vegetables directly from the field to your home. By visiting our online fruit and vegetable store you can personalize your box with the products you want.

Until next time and thanks for reading!