What is ‘slash and burn’ agriculture? Explain its salient features

1.	What is ‘slash and burn’ agriculture? Explain its salient features.
Answer» Slash and burn refers to the agricultural practice of clearing a forest by cutting down trees and burning them. The ash is mixed with the soil to make it fertile. The land is cultivated for a few years and is thereafter abandoned to allow the forest to regenerate and the land to recover its nutrients. It is also known as shifting cultivation. Salient features of this agriculture are : (i) Forests are cleared and trees are burnt to make the land available for cultivation. (ii) Digging stick is mainly used for cultivation. (iii) Mainly root crops and food crops are grown for their own use. (iv) After 2 years when the soil becomes impoverished they move to another forest area. (v) Productivity is very low as there is less use of natural fertilisers and pesticides, etc.

What is ‘slash and burn’ agriculture? Explain its salient features.

Answer»

Slash and burn refers to the agricultural practice of clearing a forest by cutting down trees and burning them. The ash is mixed with the soil to make it fertile. The land is cultivated for a few years and is thereafter abandoned to allow the forest to regenerate and the land to recover its nutrients. It is also known as shifting cultivation.

Salient features of this agriculture are :

(i) Forests are cleared and trees are burnt to make the land available for cultivation.

(ii) Digging stick is mainly used for cultivation.

(iii) Mainly root crops and food crops are grown for their own use.

(iv) After 2 years when the soil becomes impoverished they move to another forest area.

(v) Productivity is very low as there is less use of natural fertilisers and pesticides, etc.

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