Podu cultivation, known as punam cultivation in Wayanad, is practiced by the Kurichiyas and other agricultural tribes.
Podu cultivation is a form of shifting cultivation. The valleys of the Wayanad hills, particularly in the western half of the taluk, have been cleared and converted into wet rice fields. A good deal of this clearance was done in ancient days by the Kurichiyas. These fields are very fertile and the yield per acre is higher than that in most other parts of the Malabar district.
Podu cultivation is very popular among the tribal people of Odisha. The cultivate a piece of land for around 3-4 years and then abandon it for few years so that the fertility of the land gets restored by natural means.