There are several reasons that could account for the comparatively low soil losses even in weak to average monsoons. In the present study, the storage capacity of the terrace ditches should not be underestimated. A typical ditch 20 cm wide, 10 cm deep and 50 m long can store 1 m3 of soil, which is approximately equivalent to the loss of 2.6 t ha–1 over a terrace of 500 m2. By the end of the maize season, the ditches are typically clogged with soil and are dug out, the soil being placed on the adjacent terrace. This results in a sequential annual cascade of soil to the terrace below. The net loser is the farmer cultivating the top of the terrace set. Secondly, the role of weeds (or other form of ground cover) in reducing soil particle detachment is critical in minimizing soil losses, and conversely in concentrating losses into two peak times. Thirdly, there is the farmers’ continual vigilance to prevent major rills and gullies forming across the terraces and to control and re-terrace small slumps.