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Farming System : Concept, Scope and modules

Dr. R P SinghDr. R P SinghAssociate Director ExtensionAssociate Director ExtensionG.B.P.U.A & T., PantnagarG.B.P.U.A & T., Pantnagar

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Challenges

Challenge Current statusRate of changes

(per year)

Populationworld 6 billion + 1.3%

India 1 billion + 1.95%

Food insecure population 790 million 1.0%

Soil degradation 1966 m ha 5-10 M ha

Desertification 1016 m ha 6 M ha

Irrigated area per person 0.045 ha -1.3%

Grain harvested area per person 0.11 ha -0.55%

Forested area per capita 0.59 ha -0.78%

Atmospheric concentration of GHGs

CO2 370 ppm +0.5%

CH4 1.74 ppm +0.75%

N2O 311 ppb +0.25%

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Crops/item Requirement (gm/capita/day)

Requirement in million tons

2010 2020

Cereals and millets 420(391) 237.4(195) 280.99

Pulses and legumes 70(33) 22.61(13)

26.76

Fats and oils 40(34) 12.44 (9)

14.72

Vegetables 125 109.52 129.62

Roots and tubers 75 42.39 50.18

Fruits 50 43.81 51.85

Milk 150 84.79 100.35

Sugar 30(57) 16.96(19.2)

20.07

Egg 45 25.44 30.11

Fish 25 14.13 16.73

Requirement by 2020 AD to meet the balanced diet as per norms prescribed by ICMR

(The Hindu Survey of Indian Agriculture, 2006)

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Problems of present day agriculture

• Decline in agriculture growth rate

• Decline in factor productivity

• Static or decline in food production

• Increasing malnutrition

• Shrinkage in net cultivable area

• increasing environmental pollution

• Depleting ground water table

• Increasing cost of production

• Low farm income

• Increasing unemployment

What is the solution?What is the solution?

“Integrated Farming Systems”

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Farming system?

Farming :

• Farming is a process of harnessing solar

energy in the form of economic plant &

animal products.

• System: implies a set of interrelated

process organized into a functional entity.

Features of diversified farming in sustainable agriculture

• Maintain vegetative cover

• Provide regular supply of organic matter

• Enhance nutrient recycling mechanism

• Pest control through enhanced bio-control

activity

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Farming System--components

FARM Family

Water

Soil

Other resources laborer

livestock

crops

• Functions with in limitation of capability/resources/socio cultural settings

• Interacting with physical, biological, economic factors

• managing agricultural activity/even non farm vocations

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Farming system designates a set of agricultural activities organized into functional units:

To profitably harness solar energy

Preserving land productivity

Ensuring environmental quality

Maintaining desirable level of biological

diversity and ecological stability.

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Resource Management strategies achieving

economy and sustaining agriculture

production

Meeting diverse requirements of farming

house holds

Conserving the resource base and

maintaining environment quality

Efficient use of land, labour and available

resources

Further: IFS

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Integrated Farming Systems

Crop husbandry

Livestock production

Poultry

Duckery

Horticulture

Aquaculture

Apiculture

Sericulture

Mushroom cultivation

Agro-forestry

Biogas plants Miscellaneous enterprises

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An arrangement of recycling products/ by- products of

one component as input to another linked component

Reduction in cost of production

Increase in productivity per unit area per unit time

Increase in total income of farm

Effective utilization of family labors around the year

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IFSDeterminants

Objective Physical

Economic

Environment

Social

Constraints Components

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Factors determining type of farming

• Physical factor (Climate ,soil, topography)• Economic factor

– Marketing cost– Labour availability– Capital– Land value– Competition for enterprises– Consumer demand– Prevalent pest and diseases

• Social factor (type of community, easy transport, marketing facilities and co-operative spirit)

• Objective (income, production, minimizing cost etc.)• Availability of resources and components

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Types of Integrated Farming Systems

Crop-live stock farming system

Crop-live stock –fishery farming system

Crop-live stock – poultry - fishery farming system

Crop-poultry-fishery – mushroom farming system

Crop-fishery-poultry farming system

Crop- livestock-fishery-vermicomposting farming system

Crop-live stock-forestry farming system

Agri-silvi-horticulture system

Agri-horti-silvi-pastoral system

Home garden agro-forestry system

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Factor deciding nature and size of enterprises

• Farm size• Marketing facilities • Climate • Technologies available • Soil type and condition • Income level• Credit facility • Skill/Knowledge and• Social accessibility

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Types of farming system

• Crop livestock farming system

Bio

gas

Excreta

Crop Animals

Family

Resources flow in farming systemLIVE STOCK CROP

Crop residue as feed

Dung Slurry as manure

BIO GAS PIT

HOUSE HOLD

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Crop- livestock- forestry farming system

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Crop- fish- poultry farming system

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Crop –livestock- poultry- fishery farming system

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Labour intensive farming system for small area

Poultry Pig Energy for use

Vermiculture

Biogas Plant

Fish Pond

Mushroom

Orchard fruit trees

Ear

th w

orm

fee

d

Faeces

Biogas Slurry

Biogas Slurry

Biogas Slurry Biogas Slurry

Faeces as feed

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Agroforestry in Kerala: A Model(Salam et al.,1992)

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Enterprises linked in different agro-ecosystem

Dry land Garden land Wet land

Dairy Dairy Dairy

Sheep Poultry Poultry

Goat Mushroom Mushroom

Agro forestry Apiary Apiary

Farm pond Piggery Fish culture

Sericulture Duck farming

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Farming system for different agro-climatic zones of India

Regions System High altitude cold desert

region

Pastures with agro-forestry, goats, angora rabbits and a limited agricultural crops like millets, wheat, barley, fodders are recommended.

Arid and desert region Farming system is centering mainly in animal husbandry with camels, sheep and goat and with moderate cropping components involving pearly millet, wheat, pulses, gram and fodder.

Western and central

Himalayan region

Horticultural crops act as a major component and have a less intensive agriculture mainly on the hill terraces and slopes with maize, rice, wheat, pulses and fodder crops.

Eastern Himalayan region Primitive crop husbandry with rice, millets, pulses etc. Agro-forestry system are also common. Piggery and poultry are the chief livestock activity.

Cont……..

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Regions System Indo-gangetic plains Intensive crop husbandry involving rice-wheat,

maize-mustard pulses is integrated livestock (including dairy cattle and buffaloes).

Central and southern

highlands

Cotton-sorghum-millets-pulses in linked with dairy-cattle, sheep, goat poultry (as the secondary enterprises).

Western ghats Major activity is cultivation of plantation crops. Cultivation of rice and pulses are the secondary agricultural activity. Cattle, sheep and goats are the livestock components which is maintained as large herds and allowed for free ranging.

Delta and coastal plains Rice cultivation is linked along with fish culture, poultry and piggery enterprises. Capture fisheries of the marine ecosystem is a specialized enterprise and does not mix with cropping activity.

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Productivity of Rice-based IFS: A case study

Farming system Component productivity (Kg/ha) Rice-grain equivalent

yield (Kg/ha)

Crop Poultry Mushroom

Rice – fallow (Existing system)

4311 - - 4311

Rice-Groundnut + Mushroom+ poultry

6557 (39) 6,060 (36) 4,305 (25) 16,922

Rice-Cowpea+ Mushroom+ poultry

7,662 (43) 6,060 (34) 4,305 (23) 18,027

Rice-Brinjal+ Mushroom+ poultry

11,122 (52) 6,060 (28) 4,305 (20) 21,487

Rice-Sunnhemp+ Mushroom+ poultry

4,993 (33) 6,060 (39) 4,305 (28) 15,358

(Manjunath & Itnal, 2003)

Figures in parentheses indicate per cent contribution to the total system productivityExperiment conducted at the ICAR Res. Complex, Goa

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Income and employment generation under IFS

Enterprises Unit Cost of production (Rs./unit)

Gross return (Rs./unit)

Net return (Rs./unit)

B:C ratio

Man days

Crop component

5.0 ha 2,28,000 6,82,900 4,54,900 3.00 1310

Animals (2 cows + 3 buffalo)

5 Nos. 16,200 38,880 22,680 (4.6%)

2.40 140

Poultry (40 chicks + 40 ducks)

80 Nos. 2,000 11,600 9,600 (1.9%)

5.80 60

Pisciculture 0.2 ha (fingerlings)

8,000 20,000 12,020 (2.4%)

2.50 45

Total 5.2 ha 2,54,200 7,53,380 4,99,180 2.96 1,555

Conventional systems

1.4 ha 13,100 19,220 6,120 1.40 -------

(Nanda et al., 2007)

On- farm experiment conducted in the farm of Mr. Murli Budhia, Vill. Kanakpur, Bhawanipatna

Location: Kalahandi district of Orissa

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OBJECTIVES: To identify profitable, sustainable and eco-friendly farming

systems for 2 ha land holding.

Comparative evaluation of different farming systems to reduce cost of cultivation for higher returns through recycling of residues within the system

A case study of Integrated Farming System

CENTRAL SOIL SALINITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, KARNAL

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Proposed Model (Land area 2.0 hectare)

(A) Crop production : 0.8 ha

Rice-Wheat 0.2 ha.

Maize- Wheat-Moong 0.2 ha.

Winter Maize-Soybean 0.2 ha.

Pigeon pea-Mustard-Fodder maize 0.2 ha.

(B) Fodder Production: 0.4 ha

Maize- Maize-Berseem 0.2 ha.

Sorghum-Berseem/Oat 0.2 ha.

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(C) Horticulture: 0.2 haPapaya and guava

(D) Vegetables : 0.2 haBottle ground-Cauliflower

(E) Floriculture : 0.2 haMarigold, Gladiolus and Chrysanthemums in RabiBaby corn, Sweet corn etc. in Kharif

(F) Fish, bee keeping and mushroom : 0.2 haCatla, rohu, mrigal, common carp and grass carp, 25 bee boxes.

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S. No. Enterprise Benefit/ Gain

1. Crop production

(Rice-Wheat)

Net profit Rs.39,400/ha;

B:C ratio 1.70

2. Vegetables

(bottleguard-cauliflower)

Net profit of Rs.80,000/ha

3. Fodder production

(Maize- Maize-Berseem)

Net profit of Rs.59,000 / ha ;

B:C ratio 2.98

4. Fodder production

(Sorghum-Berseem/Oat)

Net profit 40,000 / ha;

B:C ratio 2.91,

5. Milk production (Buffaloes) Rs.400 per day from milk;

91 q dung* in 4 months

6. Bee-keeping (Honey ) Rs.40,000 in six months

7. FisheryRs.15,000/ year

Outcome

* The dung also supplied equivalent to 73 kg N, 46 kg p, 109 kg K, 4.4 kg Zn, 1.32kg Cu and 7.99 kg Mn

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Productivity (RGEY) of IFS in Irrigated Agro-Ecosystem of Eastern U.P.

Farming system Component productivity (q) Component productivity (q/ ha)

Crop Dairy Poultry Fish Total Total

Rice- pea- okra (MRS) 42.72 - - - 42.72 170.88

MRS+ sorghum- berseem- maize+ dairy

32.70 236.33 - - 269.03 1076.12

MRS+ sorghum- berseem- maize+ poultry

32.70 - 30.37 - 63.07 252.28

MRS+ sorghum- berseem- maize+ fish

28.57 - - 15.06 43.63 174.52

MRS+ sorghum- berseem- maize+ dairy+ poultry

32.42 236.33 30.37 - 299.12 1196.48

MRS+ sorghum- berseem- maize+ dairy+ fish

28.09 236.33 - 15.06 279.48 1117.92

MRS+ sorghum- berseem- maize+ fish+ poultry

28.09 - 30.37 15.06 73.52 294.08

MRS+ sorghum- berseem- maize+ dairy+ fish+ poultry

27.61 236.33 30.37 15.06 309.37 1237.48

(Singh et al.,2007)Res. Farm, IAS,BHU (Varanasi)

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Cowdung utilized as manure

Crop componentRice-pea-okra (0.5 ha)

Sorghum-berseem-maize (0.26ha)

Farm house hold (1.0 ha)Productivity :123748 kg RGEY , Income: Rs. 421604

Employment generation : 731 man days/yr

Fish component2 fish ponds of 0.2 ha

Each with 2000 fish density

Dairy component(20 cow)- 0.02 ha

Poultry dropping

Productivity (11044.9 kg RGEY)Income: Rs 42708

Labour:731 man days

Suplement green fodder

Poultry component(1800 brollers)- 0.02 ha

Poultry dropping as manure

cow dropping

Productivity (94532 kg RGEY)Income: Rs 317904Labour:0 man days

Productivity (6024 kg RGEY)Income: Rs 21224

Labour:0 man days

Productivity (12148 kg RGEY)Income: Rs 39768

Labour:0 man days

Economics of a Sustainable Farming System model for Irrigated Agro-ecosystem of Varansi and Chanduli region of NEPZ of UP

(Singh et al., 2007)

36Proposed Model for Integrated Farming System in Lower Hill/Tarai Irrigated

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Cropping system (0.364 ha)i. sunflower- maize+cow pea + green gram

(60% area)ii. Bajra (fodder)+desmanthus (20% area)

iii.bhindi- chilles (10 %)

Milch cows (0.016 ha)

Biocompost (0.008 ha)

Farm household (0.40 ha)

Vermicompost (0.008 ha)Goat and Guinea

fowl (0.004 ha)

Feed (forage crops)

Field and fodder crops

manure

Food, income

labour

Milk, Income

Meat, Egg, Income

labour

manure

labour

Income

labour

Feed (Forage & crop wastes)

Vegetablecrops

VegetableCrops residues

Resource flow model of integrated farming system – Irrigated upland (0.4 ha) for Western zone of Tamil Nadu (Jayanthi et al.,2007)

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Farming system RGEY(kg/ha)

Cost of production

(Rs/ha)

Gross return

(Rs/ha)

Net return(Rs/ha)

Per day Return(Rs/ha)

Cropping alone 12,222 24,922 61,112 36,190 167

Crop +fish + poultry 31,858 44,627 159,292 114,665 436

Crop + fish + pigeon 32,554 43,310 161,772 118,462 443

Crop + fish + goat 39,610 51,483 178,047 12,564 493

Productivity and economic analysis of different integrated farming systems

(Jayanthi et al., 2003)

Experiment undertaken at Coimbatore, Tamilnadu (low land)

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Farming system Crop Poultry Pigeon Fish Goat Total systememployment generation

Cropping alone 369 - - - - 369

Crop +fish + poultry

420 61 - 34 - 515

Crop + fish + pigeon

420 - 61 34 - 515

Crop + fish + goat

420 - - 34 122 575

Employment generation (man-days)Employment generation (man-days)

(Jayanthi et al., 2003) Experiment undertaken at Coimbatore, Tamilnadu (low land)

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Income and expenditure of different integrated farming modules for small farmers

S no.

Treatment Expenditure

(Rs.)

Gross income

(Rs.)

Net income

(Rs.)

B:C ratio

Employment days

1 Crop (1.4 ha) 28925 47225 18300 1.63 385

2 Crop +2 bullocks+3cows

39755 70800 31044 1.78 528

3 Crop +2 bullocks +3 buffaloes

40559 83833 43273 2.07 528

4 Crop +2 bullocks + 1 cow + 2 buffaloes +15 goats

43221 94325 51104 2.18 554

5 Crop +2 bullocks+1 cow + 2 buffaloes +15 goats + 20 poultry + 20 ducks

46430 104887 58456 2.25 571

(Ramrao et al.,2005)Chhattisgarh plains

Paddy-cum-fish culturePaddy-cum-fish culture

Fishing in Paddy Fields

Practical Out-look of Trench-refuge combinations in rice- fish culture plots

Systems Grain Yield (t/ha) Fish Yield (Kg/ha)

Return per Rupee invested

I crop II crop

Rice alone 3.90 3.60 - 2.32

Rice+azolla 4.63 4.46 - 2.87

Rice+fish 3.70 3.41 900 2.83

Rice+fish+

azolla

4.08 4.06 900 3.05

CD (P=0.05) 0.60 0.73 - -Shivakumar and Balasubramaniam, 2000

Grain yield and economics of rice-azolla-fish farming system

Agro-climatic zone-wise promising agroforestry systems

Agro-climatic Agro-climatic zone zone

Agroforestry Agroforestry system system

Tree component Tree component Crop/grass Crop/grass

Western Western Himalayas Himalayas

Silvipasture (RF)Silvipasture (RF) Grewia optiva Grewia optiva Setaria spp.Setaria spp.

Morus alba Morus alba Setaria spp.Setaria spp.

Agrihorticulture Agrihorticulture Malus pumilaMalus pumila Millets, wheat Millets, wheat

Agrihorticulture Agrihorticulture Prunus persica Prunus persica Anthocephalus Anthocephalus

Maize, Soybean Maize, Soybean

Eastern Eastern Himalayan Himalayan

AgrisilvicultureAgrisilviculture CadambaCadamba Paddy Paddy

Agrihorticulture Agrihorticulture Alnus nepalensis Alnus nepalensis Large Large Cardamom/Coffee Cardamom/Coffee

SilvicultureSilviculture Bamboos Bamboos

Boundary Plantation

Agro-climatic Agro-climatic zone zone

Agroforestry Agroforestry system system

Tree Tree component component

Crop/grass Crop/grass

Western Western Himalayas Himalayas sppspp..

Silvipasture Silvipasture (RF)(RF)

Grewia optiva Grewia optiva SetariaSetaria

Morus alba Morus alba Setaria spp.Setaria spp.

Agrihorticulture Agrihorticulture Malus pumilaMalus pumila Millets, wheat Millets, wheat

Agrihorticulture Agrihorticulture Prunus persica Prunus persica Anthocephalus Anthocephalus

Maize, Soybean Maize, Soybean

Eastern Eastern Himalayan Himalayan

AgrisilvicultureAgrisilviculture CadambaCadamba Paddy Paddy

Agrihorticulture Agrihorticulture Alnus Alnus nepalensis nepalensis

Large Large Cardamom/CoffeeCardamom/Coffee

SilvicultureSilviculture Bamboos Bamboos

SilvipastureSilvipasture Alnus Alnus nepalensis, nepalensis, Pinus Pinus roxburghiiroxburghii

Setaraia spp., Setaraia spp., Native grasses, Native grasses, Napier grass Napier grass

Agro-climatic Agro-climatic zone zone

Agroforestry Agroforestry system system

Tree component Tree component Crop/grass Crop/grass

Lower Gangetic Plains

Agrisilviculture (Irri) Eucalypts Paddy, Sheat

Agrihorticulture (Irri) Silvipasture

Mango/Banana, Litchi Acacia auriculiformis

Maize

Middle Gangetic Plains

Agrisilviculture (Irri) Populus deltoids Sugarcane-wheat

Agrisilviculture (Irri) Eucalypts Rice-Wheat

Agrisilviculture Dalbergia sissoo Sesamum

Agrihorticulture (Irri) Mango/citrus Rice-Wheat

Trans Gangetic Plains

Agrihorticulture (Irri) Emblica officinalis Black gram/Green gram

Agrisilviculture Azadirachta indica Black gram-Wheat/Mustard

Upper Gangetic plains

Agrisilviculture (Irri) Populus deltoids Wheat, Bajra fodder

Agrihorticulture (Irri) Silvipasture

Eucalypts Rice-Wheat

Eastern Plateau & Hills

Agrisilviculture Gmelina arborea Paddy, linseed Paddy

Agrisilviculture Acacia nilotica

Silviculture Acacia mangium

Silviculture Bamboos

Bambusa balcoo + toria + apiculture

Bamboo+cowpea

Poplar + direct seeded rice

Poplar + Soybean

Shisham + Wheat

Eucalyptus + Wheat

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LONG TERM Advantages of Integrated Farming Systems

Regular income and year round employment

Provides food and nutritional security

Eco- recycling of agriculture residues/ by-products/wastes

Better soil quality for sustainable agriculture

Halting of ground water depletion through the enterprises

requiring less water

Minimization in pollution hazards

improves micro climate

Conservation of natural resources

Minimizes the risk of failure in productivity

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Lack of awareness about sustainable farming systems Unavailability of varied farming system models Lack of credit facilities at easy and reasonable interest rate Lack of banking aptitude and habit to take full advantage of credit

facilities Non-availability of ensured marketing facilities specially for

perishable commodities Lack of marketing intelligence among farmers Lack of deep freezing and storage facilities Dedicated / committed extension services Lack of timely availability of inputs Lack of knowledge/education among farming community specially of

rural youth

Limitations of IFSLimitations of IFS

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Issues to be Considered: Need to conduct adaptive research for developing efficient IFS model

Provision of training to technicians, extension workers and farm engineers to support and sustain farming system

Availability of adequate banking facilities and loans with the priority to small and marginal farmers

Provision of assured marketing facilities specially for perishable commodities

A better coordination among research institutes, Govt. development agencies and NGOs

Timely supply of necessary inputs on subsidized base

Farmer should develop their banking aptitude and habits to take full advantage of credit facilities

Cataloguing and utilization of ITK concepts in the development of farming system modules

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• IFS is a promising approach for increasing over all productivity and profitability through recycling the farm by-products, and efficient utilization of available resources

• It could further generate employment opportunities to the farming communities round the year and provide a better economic and nutritional security

•The combination of different enterprises needs to be seriously viewed. This can go long way uplift rural life through increased income .

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