Read the passage below carefully:
Across the arid stretches of the West African Sahel, traditional agricultural practices are undergoing a significant renaissance as communities struggle against relentless desertification and soil degradation. For decades, modern agricultural interventions prioritized chemical fertilizers and deep tillage, methods that often worsened soil erosion and depleted fragile water tables. In response, indigenous soil restoration techniques—most notably the za�� pit system—have been revived and adapted to combat topsoil loss and maximize rainwater infiltration.
The zaï method involves digging shallow basins in crusted, impermeable hardpans during the dry season. Farmers fill these pits with organic compost, which attracts termites. The burrowing action of termites creates underground capillary channels, breaking up the hard crust and allowing early seasonal rainfall to penetrate deep into the subsoil. When seeds are planted inside the pits, they benefit from both concentrated moisture and localized nutrient availability, achieving significantly higher survival rates than crops planted in traditionally plowed fields.
Recent longitudinal studies across Burkina Faso and Niger reveal that widespread adoption of zaï farming has restored thousands of hectares of formerly abandoned land. Beyond crop yields, the technique has stimulated micro-climate stabilization and natural tree regeneration. However, agricultural economists emphasize that scaling zaï practices requires substantial labor investment during off-peak seasons, posing a challenge for resource-poor households. Consequently, development agencies are now introducing semi-mechanized digging tools to reduce physical labor while preserving the ecological integrity of this indigenous technology.
Based on the passage, in what logical order do the steps of the zaï farming process operate to transform degraded soil into productive land?
- 1Farmers dig shallow basins in hardpan soil during the dry season and fill them with organic compost.
- 2Subterranean termites attracted to the compost burrow into the soil, forming underground capillary channels.
- 3Seasonal rainfall penetrates deep into the subsoil through the newly created termite channels.
- 4Planted crops utilize concentrated moisture and localized nutrients to achieve enhanced survival rates.