Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) is an agroforestry system developed in the Philippines to control soil erosion, restore soil fertility, and improve crop yields on hilly, sloping lands.
Step 2: Detailed Explation:
The SALT system is a specific form of contour hedgerow intercropping.
In this system, double rows of fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing woody shrubs or trees (such as Leucae leucocephala, Gliricidia sepium, or Calliandra calothyrsus) are planted along established contour lines across the hillslope.
These dense hedgerows act as physical barriers that slow down water runoff and trap eroding soil, turally forming terraces over time.
The alleys between the hedgerows are used to cultivate annual agricultural crops (like maize or upland rice) and perennial crops.
The hedgerows are periodically pruned, and the prunings are applied to the alleys as mulch and green manure to enrich the soil.
Therefore, the SALT system is classified as a contour hedgerow intercropping system.
Step 3: Fil Answer:
The correct option is (D).