Shifting Cultivation, Jhum Cultivation, Advantages, Disadvantages

Shifting Cultivation

Shifting cultivation is a farming method where small forest areas are cleared and burned to make land for planting crops. Farmers use this land for a few years until the soil loses its nutrients. Then, they leave the plot and move to a new area, letting the old land recover naturally over time.

Shifting cultivation is a farming method that involves several steps:

• Farmers cut down plants and burn them to enrich the soil with nutrients.
• They then plant crops like cereals, vegetables, and tubers in the fertile soil.
• Once the crops are ready, they are harvested.
• After a few years, when the soil becomes less fertile, the land is left unused to recover. During this time, plants grow back, and the soil regains its nutrients.
  Farmers repeat this cycle by moving to new areas while allowing old plots to recover.

Read More: Intensive Farming

List of Shifting Cultivation Local Names around World

Here is the List of Shifting Cultivation Local Names around the World given below in the table:

Read More: Sedentary Farming

List of Shifting Cultivation Local Names in India

Here is the List of Shifting Cultivation Local Names in India given below in the table:

Shifting Cultivation Nature and Methods

In shifting cultivation, people burn and clear a forest area to plant crops. The ash acts as a natural fertilizer. The fresh soil gives good harvests. After a few years, the soil’s fertility decreases and more weeds grow. Then, the area is left alone to recover and grow back into forest. The time spent farming is usually shorter than the time the land needs to recover. Farmers then move to a new forest area to repeat the process. After about ten years, they might return to the old site to farm again. This method is also called Slash and Burn agriculture.

Cultivation of soil after clearing is usually accompanied by a hoe or digging stick and not by the plough. Much manual labour is used in land clearance and the resultant produce suffices for few people. It is a form of subsistence farming.

Read More: Extensive Farming

Shifting Cultivation Examples of Crops Grown

In shifting cultivation, people grow root crops like tapioca, cassava (or manioc), and yams. They also plant corn (maize), millet, upland rice, beans, and bananas. These crops are mainly starchy foods, which are important for their diet.

Read More: Natural Gas

Shifting Cultivation Areas of Practice

Shifting cultivation is commonly practiced by many tribal communities in tropical regions like in Mexico, Central Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. It goes by various names: milpa in Mexico, taungya in Myanmar, humah in Indonesia, and jhum in India. In India, jhum cultivation occurs in small areas of the northeast hills, the Western Ghats, and parts of Central India. The shifting cultivation is called Poruh in Madhya Pradesh and Bewar in the Western Himalayas.

Read More: Coastal Landforms

Shifting Cultivation Characteristics

Shifting cultivation is characterized by the following features:

• After burning the forest, no further soil preparation is done before planting.
• Experienced elders usually choose the plot for clearing (ladang).
• Hill slopes are preferred for better drainage.
• Farming methods are basic, using simple tools like sticks and hoes, without machines or animals.
• Only manual labor is used for clearing the forest and growing crops.
• Starchy crops like manioc, cassava, yams, tapioca, maize, millet, beans, and upland rice are grown.
• The cultivated areas are small, about 0.5-1 hectare.
• Shifting cultivation is the traditional farming method of the aboriginal tribes in tropical rainforests.
• Economically, it is not very important globally, but it supports the livelihood of many people in tropical rainforests.

Read More: Equatorial Climate Region

Shifting Cultivation Advantages

• Shifting cultivation on hillsides is easy and quick to prepare for farming.
• Bushes and weeds are cleared, burned, and used as fertilizer.
• Crops grow fast, and sometimes only one crop is harvested.
• There is no concern about water or animals eating the crops.
• Mountain streams provide a steady and suitable water supply to the crops.

Read about: Fluvial Landforms

Shifting Cultivation Disadvantages

• The biggest drawback of shifting cultivation is cutting down trees and plants that prevent soil erosion and benefit the environment. This can lead to significant soil erosion.
• Soil erosion can cause rivers in low-lying areas, like the Brahmaputra and Barak, to overflow during heavy rains.
• 22% of the fertile topsoil is lost when shifting cultivation is practiced.
• This loss of fertile soil creates economic problems for people.
• The land used in shifting cultivation is temporary.

Read about: Glacial Landforms

Shifting Cultivation in Nagaland

Nagaland is a hilly state in northeastern India where shifting cultivation has been practiced for a long time. It is home to the Naga tribes, who belong to the Indo-Mongoloid group. They live in the North-Eastern Hills of India. The main tribes in Nagaland are Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Khiamniungan, Kuki, Konyak, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam, Sumi, Yimchungru, and Zeliang.

Nagaland is mostly mountainous and covered with forests, except for areas near the Assam valley. About 70% of the people depend on farming. The main farming method is Slash and Burn, called jhum locally. Recently, the government has been helping people switch to permanent farming methods.

Read about: Aeolian Landforms

Other Indian Geography Topics

Other Fundamental Geography Topics

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