Integrated farming system model for small farm holders of western zone plain zone of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Weakening of the traditional joint family concept combined with unchecked linear growth in human population lead indiscriminate fragmentation of land holdings. More than 85 percent farm families have been converted in to marginal and small categories of farmers having land less than one hectare. Small and fragmented land holdings do not allow a farmer to keep independent farm resources like draught animals, tractors, bore wells/ tube wells and other sophisticated machineries for various cultural operations. Further, most of the inputs have become costly and out of reach of these resource poor farmers which has resulted farming as an uneconomic and unsustainable enterprise. Large scale urbanization, industrial and infrastructural growth - a need of the day has necessitated looking for vertical growth rather than horizontal expansion as far as Indian agriculture is concerned. In past, the focus had been on maximization of crop yields and that too for wellendowed resource rich farm families. Marginal and small farmers in general are literally illiterate, financially handicapped, their holdings are small and scattered not suited for high-tech agricultural machinery, work in resource poor and risk prone diverse conditions. Lot of efforts have been made aiming at increasing the productivity of different components of farming system but lacking in their integration by following farming system approach. To fulfil the basic needs of household including food (cereal, pulses, oilseeds, milk, fruit, honey, fish meat, etc.) for human, feed and fodder for animals and fuel & fibre for general use warrant an attention about Integrated Farming System. The preliminary research investigations under IFS approach advocated the benefits of productivity improvement by 30-50% and more than double increase in employment generation than arable farming depending upon the number and kind of enterprises and their management. The integration is made in such a way that product of one component should be the input for other enterprises with high degree of complimentary effects on each other. The fodder fed to the cattle produces milk. The dung, urine and litter produce farmyard manure and energy used for crops and fishpond. The FYM can substitute about 25% of recommended NPK for crops, besides improving the physical and biological properties of soil. Cow dung mixed with crop residues and farm wastes may be converted in to nutrient rich and termite free Vermicompost. The fishpond embankment comprising 20-30% surface area can be used for growing cucurbits and fruit trees and also provide effective soil cover to check the soil erosion. The nutrient rich silt of fishpond is utilized as manure to crops. The fishpond water can be recycled by gravity and /or lift method as supplemental irrigation at critical growth stages while there is breakdown in electricity supply or long dry spell prevails. Oilseeds provide nectar for honeybee, edible oils for human and oilseed cake for animal feed. Processing of different products enhances the value addition to the extent of 25 to 50% besides generating 50-75- man days/ family/ year of employment. The results of studies conducted on Integrated farming systems at this Directorate during 2004-10 are synthesized and presented here in the form of this bulletin. Hopefully, it will serve as a model and guidelines for developing such IFS models in other areas of Western Plain Zone of Uttar Pradesh in particular and the similar agro climatic conditions of adjoining states Haryana and Punjab in general.