Picture of the Day: Rice Terrace Sunset

 

 

 

In this beautiful photograph by Agustin Rafael Reyes, we see the Doya rice terraces at sunset. The terraces are located in Matsuura-shi, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.

In agriculture, a terrace is a piece of sloped plane that has been cut into a series of successively receding flat surfaces or platforms, which resemble steps, for the purposes of more effective farming.

Graduated terrace steps are commonly used to farm on hilly or mountainous terrain. Terraced fields decrease erosion and surface runoff, and are effective for growing crops that require a lot of water, including rice. [Source]