Knowra Inca agriculture Inca agriculture Inca agriculture was the farming system of the Inca Empire, combining terracing, irrigation, storage, and crops suited to the varied elevations of the Andes.
Andean agricultural terraces : Stepped fields cut into Andean slopes to create cultivable, more stable land. Inca terraces reduced erosion and created level fields across steep mountain terrain.
Andes : The mountain range along western South America, extending through several climate zones and elevations. Its steep terrain and vertical climate gradients shaped Inca farming choices.
Andean civilizations : Complex societies that developed across the Andes before and during the Inca Empire. Inca farming drew on a long regional history of cultivation and water management.
Mit'a : A labor obligation requiring communities in the Inca Empire to provide work for state projects. Mit'a labor built terraces, canals, roads, and storehouses and helped cultivate state lands.
Agricultural biodiversity : The variety of crops, breeds, and genetic resources maintained within farming systems. Andean farmers cultivated diverse crop varieties suited to different elevations and conditions.
Inca irrigation : Water-control systems that diverted and distributed water to fields in the Inca Empire. Canals and channels carried water to terraces and other cultivated land.
Potato : A domesticated tuber crop native to the Andes and cultivated in many varieties. Potatoes grew at high elevations and formed a major part of Andean diets.
Wari civilization : A pre-Inca Andean state centered in the central highlands of Peru, flourishing roughly from 600 to 1000 CE. Wari communities built agricultural terraces and irrigation works before Inca expansion.
Qullqa : An Inca state storehouse used to preserve and distribute food and other goods. Qullqa held harvests that could provision workers, officials, and troops.
Food security : Reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. Terraces, varied crops, and storage helped buffer communities against local harvest failures.
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