Question

Jhoom cultivation refers to
A) Cultivation of Jamun tree
B) Cultivation of medicinal plants by tribes
C) Tribal method of shifting cultivation
D) Cultivation of terraces

Answer 1

Hint: Jhoom cultivation is also known as the slash and burn agriculture. Jhoom is a hindi origin word which means ‘swing’.

Complete Answer:
Jhoom cultivation or slash and burn cultivation or shifting cultivation is a form of agriculture, being practiced by the tribals. In this system, an area of forest land is cleared by cutting down trees, shrubs and bushes.
During late summer, the entire field is set on fire which results in the burning of dried left overs of trees, shrubs and bushes.
The land is ploughed immediately after the first rain. It was believed that burning the leftovers increases the soil fertility.
Seeds are sown early monsoon. All sorts of indigenous seeds of cereals, pulses, vegetables and oilseeds are sown by broadcasting method and harvested periodically. After harvesting they burn the place, they leave the place and shift to another area of land next year and repeat the same method.

Hence Option ‘C’ is the correct answer.

Additional information:
Shifting cultivation is the method originated from the Neolithic period that in the years between 13,000 to 3,000 B.C. and thus the primary method for the cultivation in primitive practices. Shifting cultivation is the first way of changing the soil from the perspective of the soil fertility in terms of the growth of the crops in the cultivation method.

Note: The waste material of the field like the bush and the weeds were removed easily also the ashes of those burnt plant organic material utilized for the natural improvement of the fertility of the soil. Due to such advantage point shifting cultivation the crops grow faster and healthier.