‘垄沟’ (lǒng gōu) refers to the traditional ridge-and-furrow farming system used widely in Chinese agriculture. It consists of raised soil ridges (垄, lǒng) alternating with parallel depressions or channels (沟, gōu). This layout improves drainage, warms the soil earlier in spring, facilitates irrigation and weeding, and helps protect crops like sweet potatoes, corn, or vegetables from waterlogging.

The term is compound: 垄 means ‘ridge’ or ‘raised bed’, while 沟 means ‘ditch’, ‘furrow’, or ‘trench’. Together, they describe not just individual features but the integrated field pattern itself. Farmers often say ‘起垄开沟’ (qǐ lǒng kāi gōu) — ‘raise ridges and dig furrows’ — as a standard preparatory step before planting. Though modern mechanized farming sometimes replaces it, the 垄沟 system remains vital for small-scale, rain-fed, or hilly farmland across China.