Steps taken

1.7. Type of Farming (On Basis of Changing Geographical Environment or Historical Background)

Various type of farming patterns have developed in India due to highly variable environmental conditions. Based on changing geographical environment and historical background, we can further classify farming into following categories:

1.7.1. Shifting Agriculture

Shifting agriculture is also known as slash and burn cultivation. It is mostly practised in backward forest areas with heavy rainfall. Covered patchesof ground are cleared by cutting and burning trees and forests. The cleared land is then cultivated for two or three years in a primitive manner. When soil becomes leached and unproductive, the farmers shift to other part of the forest and follow the same pattern. There are certain disadvantages of shifting agriculture. We find that productivity is high in the first year but slowly the productivity decreases with every passing year. With the cutting of forests, soil gets easily degraded and blown away by wind and rain. The recovery period of the soil is long and it takes time to recover to the original state. Shifting cultivation is practised on a small scale in the forested areas of north eastern states, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Kerala. It is known by different mimes such as Jhum in Assam, Podu in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, Bewar in Madhya Pradesh and Ponam in Kerala.