This stretch of land isn't suitable for cultivation.
Tips
usage
More formal than 种地 (zhòngdì, "work the land," colloquial). 耕作 emphasizes the technical process of preparing soil — plowing, harrowing, weeding — and is the standard term in agricultural writing (耕作制度 "cropping system," 免耕作 "no-till farming").
memory
耕 = 耒 (lěi, ancient plow radical) + 井 — the radical 耒 shows a wooden plow handle, planting the field-character 井 right next to it. Once you spot 耒 you'll recognize all the farming verbs: 耕 (plow), 耘 (weed), 耨 (hoe).
