WHAT IS SLASH AND BURN AGRICULTURE

Slash and burn agriculture also called fire fallow cultivation which is being practised all over the world is a farming method that involves
the cutting and burning of plants in a forest to create a field called swidden. The method begins with cutting down of trees and woody plants in an area. The small plants are allowed to dry usually during dry season and then burned resulting in a nutrient (potassium and phosphorus) rich layer of ash which makes the soil fertile, as well as temporarily eliminating weed and pests. The burning also sterilizes the soil, stimulate the growth of fresh plants, and destroys the soil borne pathogens or germs.

All these are beneficial to the soil but unfortunately, burning also destroys the organic matter of the soil, reduces the population of the soil living organisms, oxidises nitrogen and sulphur into their gaseous forms, thus reducing their levels in the soil, exposes soil to erosion and leaching, raises the pH of the soil, leads to environmental pollution, destroys soil structure, reduces soil water content.

With all these disadvantages, farmers can only enjoy the added soil fertility for some time because it will be depleted in no time thereby reducing the productivity leaving the farming no choice other than to leave the land to recover for some time and move to a new area, only to return, slash and burn the land again, use the nutrient boost until it is depleted and so the cycle continues.