Question

The system of cultivation wherein trees and bushes in a forest area are first cut and burnt and the crop is sown in the ashes and when this land loses its fertility, another plot of land is cleared and planted in the same way is known as................

• A. Organic farming
• B. Natural farming
• C. Shifting cultivation
• D. Climate resilient agriculture

Hint:

Remember the alternative name for shifting cultivation: "slash-and-burn". The description of "cut and burnt" in the question is a direct clue pointing to this answer.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept
The question describes a specific method of agriculture. The key features are: cutting and burning forest (slash-and-burn), cultivating on the cleared land, and abandoning the plot when fertility declines to move to a new one. This entire process is the definition of a particular type of cultivation.

Step 2: Evaluating the Options


(A) Organic farming: This method avoids synthetic fertilizers and pesticides but does not involve the cycle of clearing, burning, and abandoning land.

(B) Natural farming: This is a holistic approach that seeks to emulate natural ecosystems and avoids all external inputs, but it is not defined by the slash-and-burn cycle.

(C) Shifting cultivation: This is the exact term for the described method. It is also known as "slash-and-burn" agriculture or, in parts of India, "jhum cultivation." The process involves clearing a plot of land, cultivating it for a few years, and then moving to a new plot, allowing the old one to regenerate.

(D) Climate resilient agriculture: This is a broad approach to farming that aims to withstand the effects of climate change; it is not a specific cultivation technique like the one described.


Step 3: Final Answer
The described system is the classic definition of shifting cultivation. Therefore, option (C) is the correct answer.