the roots of crops hold on to the soil to prevent it from being washed away. In the midwestern US, prairie strips integrate "native plant species into farm fields as contour buffers and edge-of-field filters." Prairie strips attract pollinators, build soil health, help prevent erosion, and provide wildlife habitat. Types Strip intercropping Intercropping is the practice of growing two or more crops in the same field. In strip intercropping, the field is still divided into strips, but the strips are narrower and contiguous. This helps facilitate modern farm machinery as well as allowing adjoining plants to benefit from synergistic growth effects. Contour stripcropping Contour stripcropping involves employing a crop rotation system down a slope in order to minimize runoff and rain velocity. It is used mainly on gentle slope gradients. The width of protective strips is often higher than that of the row crop strips so that they may effectively intercept runoff. References Agriculture by type Soil