Inca agriculture

Inca agriculture was a sophisticated system of food production. It supported a massive empire from 1438 to 1533 CE. This civilization was considered "pristine." This means it was an indigenous culture that developed on its own. The Incas managed three very different environments. They farmed in high, cold Andes mountains. They farmed in dry coastal deserts. They also farmed in hot, humid Amazon rainforests.

This variety required many different technologies. Success depended on organizing people and resources across vast distances.

To farm in the rugged Andes, the Incas used specialized engineering. They built agricultural terraces called andenes. These stone-walled steps turned steep mountains into flat farmland. Andenes helped prevent soil erosion. They also increased sunlight exposure for plants. They helped the soil absorb water and improved aeration.

In some areas, they used raised beds called waru waru. These beds also helped with water drainage. On the dry coast, they built extensive irrigation works. They moved water from mountain rivers across the desert. This allowed farming in one of the driest places on Earth.

Inca society was organized to manage these lands. The empire did not use money or markets. Instead, they used a system of labor and reciprocity. Land was divided into three roughly equal shares. One share went to the emperor, the Sapa Inca. Another share went to the state religion. The final share went to the farmers. Farmers lived in kinship groups called ayllus. The leader of the ayllu allocated land to families. These allocations depended on social status and family size.

Labor was the primary way people contributed to the state. Farmers did not pay taxes with coins or crops. Instead, they worked on state and religious lands for set periods. The state provided the necessary inputs for this work. This included seeds, tools, and fertilizer. In return, the farmers provided the manual labor. This system allowed the empire to produce massive amounts of food. It also ensured that the emperor and the religion were well-supported. Some royal estates, like Machu Picchu, were managed by a special class called yanakunas. These servants were ruled directly by nobles.

Food security was a major priority for the Incas. They used a strategy called the vertical archipelago. Different crops grow best at different elevations. The Incas established colonies at various heights. They also gave land to ayllus in scattered, non-contiguous plots. One plot might be in the cold mountains. Another might be in a warmer valley. This diversity protected them from crop failure. If one climate had a bad year, others would succeed.

They also raised animals like llamas and alpacas. These animals lived at 4,000 meters or higher. Their dung was used as fertilizer for the fields.

Storage was another vital part of their success. The Incas built thousands of storage silos called qullqas. These were placed along the imperial road system. Qullqas were often built on hillsides. This used natural wind to ventilate the rooms. Gravel floors and drainage canals kept the food dry. This technology allowed food to stay fresh for up to two years. They stored dried meat, known as jerky, and freeze-dried potatoes called chuño. They also stored maize and quinoa. To keep records, they used quipu. These were knotted cords used for accounting.

Inca farmers relied on manual tools for their work. They did not have large animals for plowing. They used a human-powered foot tool called a chaki taklla.

This tool was well-suited for small terrace plots. They grew a massive variety of crops. They cultivated about 200 varieties of potatoes. They grew quinoa from 2,300 to 3,900 meters. Maize was a prestige crop grown up to 3,500 meters. They also grew cotton, coca, and cassava.

These products were moved by llama caravans across the empire.