overcultivation

noun

over·​cul·​ti·​va·​tion ˌō-vər-ˌkəl-tə-ˈvā-shən 

plural overcultivations

: the act or an instance of cultivating something excessively

especially : the act or practice of cultivating land to an excessive degree in the growing of crops so that soil quality is degraded and productivity is reduced

Overcultivation, overgrazing, and massive timber consumption have turned a quarter of China's land into desert.

—Douglas McGray

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above