barren soil; infertile soil
Refers to soil that lacks nutrients and is unsuitable for growing crops. Often used in agricultural or environmental contexts.
Crops are hard to grow in barren soil.
痩せ土を改良するために堆肥を入れた。
We added compost to improve the infertile soil.
Compound of 痩せ (yase, 'thin, lean') and 土 (tsuchi, 'soil'), literally 'lean soil'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the meaning is transparent from its components.