Nitrogen budget under rotational bush fallow agriculture (jhum) at higher elevations of Meghalaya in North-Eastern India

Abstract

The nitrogen budge of 'rotational bush fallow' agriculture (jhum) was investigated at higher elevations of Meghalaya in north-eastern India under 15, 10 and 5 year fallow cycles (the intervening fallow period between one or two croppings on the same site). Nitrogen depletion was affected by initial stocks in the soil and vegetation compartment at the time of slash and burn as well as the rate at which this was lost during the subsequent land use. While nitrogen losses due to the burn was more severe under longer cycles compared to the 5 year cycle the losses through sediment and water was more under a 15 year cycle compared to 10 and 5 year cycles. Transfer of nitrogen from soil to the weed biomass increased with shortening of the fallow cycle. The positive role of weeds in conservation of nitrogen in their biomass and subsequent release through organic manure into the agriculture system has been highlighed. Under a short fallow cycle of 5 years, considered on a time scale of 15 years, the soil nitrogen was depleted to a very low level compared to a 15 year cycle, suggesting that a 5 year cycle as prevalent today is not viable from the point of view of nitrogen economy.