(Agricultural Archaeology 2001(1):88. Translated by Jia Liu; ed./interpr. By B. Gordon).
Slash & burn and water weeding (nou) are historic records. The Trade and Production chapter Huo Zhi Lie Zhuan in The History Records Shi Ji said "a sparse population in a big area of Wu and Yue Nations use slash & burn agriculture and water-weeding and eat rice and fish". Zheng Yi (Correct Sense history book) says "follow the wind to see rice as it grows faster than grass. As water-weeding drowns grass without hurting rice; nou means weeding".
I heard a rhyme in the Hakka area, Yongding County, Fujian Province: "Mudu dikes are higher than house rooves, people plow by hand and flatten fields by feet (nou); so nou means step-plowing". Farmers use water buffalo to trample, soften and mix mud before firing it in brick kilns,. So, nou also means buffalo trampling in Fukianese. Based on Hakka and Fukianese, "water weeding" (nou) may be ancient step-plowing. Many buffalo skeletons in Mudu site show step-plowing was used. This also supports nou meaning step-plowing.