(i) What is shifting cultivation? (ii) What were its local names in Central America, Africa and India?

(i) What is shifting cultivation? 

(ii) What were its local names in Central America, Africa and India?

Ans.

(i) (a) In shifting cultivation, parts of the forests are cut and burnt in rotation.

(b) Seeds are sown in the ashes after the Arst monsoon rains and the crop is harvested by October - November.

(c) Such plots are cultivated for few years and then left fallow to enable trees to grow while another area is cut for use.

(ii) In Central America this practice is called milpa, it is called tavy or chitemene in Africa and penda, bewar, podu and kumri in India.