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Chapter 18: Problem 17

How was slash-and-burn shifting cultivation, as practiced in the past, a form of crop and soil rotation and conservation of soil properties?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Slash-and-burn shifting cultivation is a cyclic system that inherently integrates crop and soil rotation by moving to fertile lands when soil fertility decreases and leaving lands fallow to rejuvenate. It conserves soil properties by allowing the soil to recover its lost nutrients naturally, while helping to control pests and diseases, making it a sustainable form of agriculture in suitable circumstances.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Slash-and-Burn Shifting Cultivation

Slash-and-burn shifting cultivation is an agricultural system in which farmers clear a plot of land by cutting and burning existing vegetation. The ash from the burned vegetation, rich in nutrients, is then used to fertilize the soil. After planting and harvesting crop for a few years, the soil starts losing fertility and productivity. The farmers then move to a new plot, allowing the old plot to recover and regenerate through natural vegetation.
02

Role in Crop and Soil Rotation

The important aspect of this system is its inherent crop and soil rotation mechanism. When the soil becomes less fertile, farmers move to a new plot, leaving the old land to recover. This is a form of 'soil rotation'. Further, different crops are grown in different seasons or cycles, making it also a 'crop rotation' system. This rotation helps to restore soil fertility and also reduce pests and disease build-up that might have arisen due to repeated cultivation of the same crop.
03

Conservation of Soil Properties

Conservation of soil properties happens when the land is left fallow or rested after a few years of cropping. Normally new vegetation grows, utilizing the deep soil nutrients and gradually improving the topsoil with their leaf litter and root action. This allows the soil's physical, biological and chemical properties to recover over time, maintaining the soil health for long-term agricultural productivity.

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