What is Jhoom farming?

This type of farming is done in the hilly terrain like North-East and Mizoram. In this farming, after cutting one crop the land is left as it is for some years. Nothing is grown there. The weeds or bamboo which grow on that land are not pulled out. They are cut and burnt. The ash makes the land fertile. While burning, care is taken so that the fire does not spread to other parts of the forest. When the land is ready for farming it is lightly dug up, not ploughed. Seeds are dropped on it. In one farm different types of crops like maize, vegetables, chillies, rice can be grown.

Hi Yogita,
Jhoom or Jhum Farming is the most ancient form of farming practiced by mainly the tribal peoples of northeastern states of India like Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland and some districts of Bangladesh also. Jhum/Jhoom farming or cultivation method is usually practiced in the hilly areas having thickly forest area.
In Jhoom farming a portion of forest is cut down and all the trees and weeds or grasses are burnt and left for some time say 6 monthes, or a year. It is believed that this burnt ash of trees and weeds makes the soil fertile. After the soil is fertile enough seeds and crops are planted. Crops which do not require large amount of water are usually cultivated.
But in this type of farming, after few cycles (getting crop for 2 to 4 seasons) soil looses its fertility and the people move to some other place for farming. In this type of farming due to cutting down of trees soil erosion is a major problem also you have to destroy the whole forest and you can use the land only till the soil is fertile, after that land is of no use. Due to these reasons in some areas like Meghalaya, Mizoram, Jhum farming has been stopped.

In 'Jhoom Farming' (also known as Jhoom Cultivation), crop is grown for one year and after the harvesting is done, the land is left fallow for some years to allow the land to regain its fertility. Although it is not prevalent these days, it is still practised in some north-eastern areas and moreover by the nomadic people. The weeds, which grow meanwhile, are not plucked or removed. But they burnt with adequate care and the ash left over acts as a fertilizer.

Hi,

All of you are right.I would like to add one main & most important thing of Jhoom farming is that how the land is framed.
Actually in hilly terrain , water can not be reversed in the slopes, So farmers cut the land as steps, each steps are almost made plain to reserve the needed amount of water for farming.
Photos attached for yor reference.