Cultivable Waste

Cultivable waste that has been left untamed for even more than five crop years is referred to as cultivable wasteland. This area can be generally followed and readied for vegetable and small shrub cultivation. As a result, uncultivable terrain is a cultivable wasteland.

The cultivable wasteland island that is accessible for agriculture or has been taken up for agriculture once but has not been farmed in the current year or the previous five years in a row.

This comprises land that has been accessible for agriculture, whether used or not but has not been used for cultivation in the previous five years more than in a row, including the present year, for whatever cause. 

Such property might be fallow or overgrown with bushes and jungles that aren’t being used. They can be found in solitary blocks or among farmed estates, and they can be accessible or inaccessible.

Why is shifting agriculture a wasteful method of cultivation?

It is always a dilemma why shifting agriculture is a wasteful method of cultivation. Shifting agriculture is a wasteful technique of farming since it leads to forest destruction. It contributes significantly to deforestation. It is the tree’s most dangerous adversary. 

Initially, shifting agriculture was a method of farming in which a piece of land was utilised, and the trees and plants were ripped down to cure before being burnt away to make way for cultivation. Shifting culture is said to be an ineffective method of cultivation since it could only be performed for two to three years.

Agriculture shifts are bad for the environment. This is since, in this sort of farming, a plot of land must first be cleaned. The trees have fallen and burned. Natural vegetation is destroyed as a result of this. Crops are then planted in the cleared land. 

Whenever the country loses its richness after three years, a bit of land is left, and then another piece of ground is cleared for agriculture. As a result, the practice of shifting agriculture causes soil or forest areas degradation.

Mushroom cultivation using agricultural waste

Agricultural wastes are an excellent supply for mushroom cultivation. Wheat, rice husks, straw, rice flour, sugar, espresso crop residues, jackfruit, tea, cotton straw, sawdust, and so on are some of the most widely used.

Wheat and cotton straws are widely utilised as substrates for Pleurotus rice straw culture, whereas wheat straw is typically used for Agaricus cultivation. 

Straw has the drawback of having to be prepared first, which is especially true if mushrooms are to be cultivated inside. Straw is filled with other bacteria, and it is vital to eliminate those little rivals since mushroom mycelium will not be able to thrive in their presence.

Rice bran and coffee pulp are the most common substrates for Lentinula edodes growth. For Volvariella and Pleurotus, leaves and tea leaves are used, respectively. Sturion advocated utilising banana leaves for Pleurotus spp. Cultivation.

Sawdust can be used to grow Ganoderma. Sawdust is typically insufficiently nutritive, necessitating the addition of a source of nitrogen such as cereal, urea, sunflower seed, or horse manure.

In densely wooded areas, shifting cropping is commonly used. These are the locations where there is a lot of rain and flora regenerates quickly. The trees are hacked down and burned to clear a parcel of land. After that, the ashes are mixed in with the soil. The field is abandoned as the country loses its fertility, and the farmer transfers to a new plot.

The main downside of Crop Rotation is that it involves cutting down numerous trees in the forest, which causes soil sterility and erosion.

Alternative agricultural systems, such as varied farming, should be adopted, taking into account the physiographic characteristics of the land, climatic factors, social conventions, and dietary habits, among other factors. 

This would necessitate a system that included agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and poultry farming, among other things. 

Conclusion

Shifting cultivation techniques are intertwined with the folk’s ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural lives, as well as their ceremonies and festivals. Mushroom cultivation using agricultural waste is also all-inclusive. 

Shifting agriculture in the area is not only a method for rural tribes to earn a living, but it also adds significantly to the individual states’ state domestic product. 

However, because of its negative impact on the environment and regional ecological balance, it is time to consider an alternative to this conventional method.