Question

What is Jhum cultivation?

Answer 1

Meaning:

1. Jhum cultivation is a traditional agricultural process that involves clearing the land of trees and other vegetation, burning it, and then cultivating it for a set period of time.
2. Potash, which is found in burned soil, boosts nutrient content.
3. Shifting cultivation and slash and burn cultivation are other names for jhum cultivation.
4. It is one of the oldest farming methods.
5. This method of agriculture is still used in India's north-eastern mountainous regions. It is also performed in India's and Bangladesh's other hilly regions.

Process of Jhoom cultivation

1. The natural vegetation on the site is first cleaned by removing trees, shrubs, and bushes as part of the cultivation process.
2. During the months of May and June, the current vegetation is burned out.
3. Then, just before the monsoon, grains are displayed. They cultivate a patch of land for a few years before moving to a new patch of land and repeating the cycle.
4. After harvesting, the area is left unattended for 10-20 years to allow the plants to regrow. During this fallow time, soil fertility is thought to be regenerated.

It should also be ensured that the same sort of crop is not grown in the next cycle. This reduces the soil's fertility by a factor of ten. The movement of crops that must be done to maintain appropriate cultivation, is known as shift cultivation. Jhum cultivation requires proper rotation.

Advantages of Jhoom cultivation are:

1. Restore the soil fertility- It aids the soil in retaining all of the nutrients lost during agriculture. The recycling process encourages natural flora to regrow, which is exactly what the soil requires. This strategy is incredibly sustainable, which is exactly what we want in today's world of depreciating resources.
2. Organic farming- Through shift cultivation or Jhum cultivation, provides organic farming benefits. Natural vegetation that has been burned and turned into ash supplies nutrients to the crops and acts as a natural fertilizer.
3. High efficiency- Jhum cultivation has high production, even on a small scale, and thus high efficiency. This is an environmentally beneficial method of farming.
4. Prevents growth of weeds- Jhum cultivation suppresses the growth of weeds on agricultural land, which are otherwise useless greens that grow practically anywhere and deplete nutrients. It is also recognized to play a significant function in soil pest control and because the soil is recycled at regular intervals, many soil-borne diseases that can develop over time are destroyed, greatly reducing the risk of those diseases.

Disadvantages of Jhoom cultivation:

1. Deforestation- If farmers continue to move around in a given region, clearing vegetation for agriculture, shifting farming can result in deforestation of the surrounding area. This must be maintained under control.
2. Reduction in soil quality- Repeated cultivation in the same area can deplete the soil's fertility and render the land barren, requiring more than a century to restore farming standards.
3. Loss of biodiversity- This type of farming depletes the area's biodiversity as many trees are regularly burnt. It results in the loss of habitats residing in that area.
4. Pollution- It pollutes surrounding water sources. The residues created by farming, particularly the ash produced, which may be beneficial to the crops, can become pollution for surrounding water bodies. Burning of trees and crops also causes air pollution as a high amount of pollutants are released into the air while the burning process, depletes air quality.