Theory question 105
Agriculture, Fishing and Lumbering(a) List two crops that are cultivated under the bush fallowing system of farming in Nigeria. (b) Outline five characteristics of bush fallowing system of farming in Nigeria. (c) Highlight four disadvantages of bush fallowing system of farming in Nigeria.
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(a) Yam; cassava; maize; guinea corn; millet; cocoyam; groundnut; beans.
(b) Land is cleared by slash and burn; farmed for a few years then left to rest (fallow) while another plot is used; the settlement is permanent; simple tools (hoe, cutlass); family labour; small farms; mainly food crops for subsistence; little or no fertilizer; low yields; needs plenty of land and low population density.
(c) Wastes land as much lies fallow; low output; burning destroys organic matter and soil organisms; exposes soil to erosion; cannot work where population is dense; difficult to mechanise; destruction of forest; low income for farmers.
Distinguish from shifting cultivation: the settlement stays.