Abstract
Slash-and-burn agriculture is the common practice for upland rice intercropping system in Sierra Leone and it has been blamed for the loss of forest vegetation across the country. Shortening of the fallow period in the Eastern region of Sierra Leone has implications on agricultural food production and the persistence of the remaining tropical rainforest. This study was therefore undertaken to assess: 1) the extent of reduction of the fallow period in the Nongowa Chiefdom of Kenema District; 2) the causes of reduction in the fallow period; 3) farmers’ perception of the relevance of fallow period and the implications of reduction of fallow period on crop production. The study revealed a drastic reduction of the fallow period in the chiefdom with a mean of 3.8 years which falls far below the country mean fallow period of 8.8 years as estimated by FAO. Farmers pointed out that the reduction of the fallow period was as a result of land scarcity due to competing land uses such as large scale commercial agriculture, logging, mining, charcoal burning and expansion of settlements. Farmers agreed that a fallow period of at least 10 years is necessary for upland rice production. Farmers were aware of the impact of reduction of the fallow period on upland rice production and were able to estimate rice yields based on the age of the fallow. Also, farmers have attempted to adapt to the constraints posed by shorter fallow periods by selection of rice varieties to suit the length of the fallow periods.
Highlights
Shifting cultivation or slash-and-burn agriculture is a global agricultural practice that affects an estimated arable land area of 1500 million ha [1]
Farmers pointed out that the reduction of the fallow period was as a result of land scarcity due to competing land uses such as large scale commercial agriculture, logging, mining, charcoal burning and expansion of settlements
Historical evidence seemed to blame shifting cultivation for much of deforestation in the tropics [7], evidence from this study showed that other competing land uses such as mining, commercial agriculture, logging and charcoal production have a dominant effect in recent times
Summary
Shifting cultivation or slash-and-burn agriculture is a global agricultural practice that affects an estimated arable land area of 1500 million ha [1] It is the traditional method of upland rice cultivation in most parts of West Africa and in the humid and sub-humid tropics. This is a practice where a piece of forest is cleared and burnt for cultivation for a period of two to three years without fertilizer input and leaving the land under natural fallow vegetation for a much longer period, usually greater than fifteen years, to restore soil fertility [2]. Nutrients are taken up from deeper layers by roots of trees and shrubs and returned to the top soil via litter fall and root senescence
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