In shifting cultivation, a patch of land is cleared by cutting and burning of the stumps. The ash is spread on the field as manure. After the land is cleared of trees, seed are sown in the ground and the land is cultivated. Neither ploughing of the soil nor any other agricultural practices are followed in this type of agriculture.
After 2-3 years, when the fertility of the soil is lost, the fields are abandoned and allowed to regain its fertility. The farmers move to a fresh piece of land and the same process is repeated.