barren land; arid soil
Refers to land with poor soil that is unsuitable for cultivation. A technical or literary term; in everyday speech, 痩せ地 (やせち) is more common.
This region has a lot of barren land and is not suitable for farming.
Research is underway to improve arid soil and turn it into fertile fields.
Composed of 瘠 (seki, 'barren' or 'lean') and 地 (chi, 'land'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with poor soil.