Question

Moving farming to other newly acquired land by leaving the old land and living places. This process is known as :

• A. fallowing of land
• B. shifting cultivation
• C. following crop rotation
• D. green manuring

Hint:

Shifting cultivation is characterized by two distinct actions: clearing new forest patches (slash-and-burn) and migrating the farming households to the new site.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Agricultural systems vary widely depending on land availability, soil fertility management, and traditional practices.
Some primitive agricultural systems rely on natural soil regeneration by moving locations periodically.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze the terms provided in the options:

• Shifting Cultivation: This is an agricultural practice where a piece of forest land is cleared by slashing and burning vegetation. The land is cultivated for a few years until the soil fertility declines. The farmers then abandon the old plot, move to a newly acquired patch of land, and establish their living places there, allowing the abandoned land to revert to natural vegetation. It is also locally known as "Jhum" cultivation in Northeast India.

• Fallowing of land: This refers to leaving a cultivable field uncropped for one or more seasons to allow it to naturally regain its moisture and nutrient status, without moving the living places of the farmers.

• Crop rotation: The practice of growing a series of dissimilar or different types of crops in the same area in sequenced seasons to improve soil health and optimize nutrients.

• Green manuring: The practice of growing specific green manure crops (like sunn hemp or dhaincha) and ploughing them back into the soil to improve organic matter and fertility.

Step 3: Final Answer
The process of moving farming and settlements to newly acquired land is called shifting cultivation.