BOOK CHAPTER

INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEMS FOR

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
N.A.DAR1.,GULZAFFAR2., B.A.ALAIE3.,Z.A.DAR4.,BILAL AHMAD LONE5. , F.A.BAHAR6.,
S.A.HAQUE7. AND K.N.SINGH8

Affiliation
1234567and 8: SHERE –E- KASHMIR UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL
SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY , KASHMIR. 190025

Corresponding author : Z.A.Dar

Email:

1. N.A.Dar: [email protected] , 09419069280

2. Gulzafar:
3. B.A. Alie:
4. Z.A. Dar:
5. BilalAhmad Lone :[email protected] , 9419019493
6. F.A.Bahar:
7. S.A.Haque:
8. K.N.Singh:[email protected] ,09419074372

Integrated farming systems for sustainable agriculture

Background of Integrated farming systems
In the mid-1960’s, there was little interaction between technical
scientists (who were mostly on experiment stations) and social scientists
(who tended to be concentrated in planning units). The Green Revolution
was beginning to have a great deal of success in Asia and Latin America,
being based on good climate (i.e., plenty of water) and soils; very
homogeneous and favourable production environments; and the adoption of
improved varieties of wheat, maize, and rice that were very responsive to
fertilizer. Improved inputs were also readily available and there was an
accessible market for the products. However, in most of Sub-Saharan
Africa, and certain parts of Latin America and Asia, there has been no
Green Revolution. This is because climatic conditions are often not as
favourable (i.e., too much or too little rainfall and limited amounts of
irrigation), soils are generally poor, production environments are very
heterogeneous and poor, and the input and output markets are poorly
developed. Not surprisingly, there has been great difficulty in developing
improved technologies that are attractive to farmers in such areas.
In Green Revolution areas, farmers were able to benefit from the
improved technologies even if they did not do things quite right and the
inputs they used were very divisible (e.g., they could use a little or a lot of
improved fertilizer or seed). However, in areas with less hospitable
environments (e.g., low rainfall areas that are found in many countries in
Africa and Latin America), farmers have to do things exactly right if they
are to benefit (e.g., planting in good soil moisture) and also they need
lumpy inputs (e.g., control over traction). In addition, yield increases are
not so good -- they tend to involve incremental rather than major (i.e.,
revolutionary) changes in yields.
Thus, in the Green Revolution areas, because of the spectacular
nature of the technology, experiment-station based technical scientists were
very successful in their work. However, the lack of success in using a
similar approach in poorer agricultural areas (i.e., with resource poor
farmers), led to the evolution of the FSR approach, in which there is close
cooperation between technical and social scientists (Norman, 1993).
Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) seem to be the possible solution to
the continuous increase of demand for food production, sustainability,
stability of income and improvement in nutrition for the small and marginal

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farmers with limited resources. Integration of different agriculturally related
enterprises with crop activity as base will provide ways to recycle produces
and waste materials of one component as input through another linked
component to bring in improvement in soil health and reduce the cost of
production of the products which finally raise the total income of the farm.
Farming system is a resource management strategy to achieve
economic and sustained agricultural production to meet diverse
requirements of the farm household while preserving the resource base and
maintaining high environmental quality. The advantages of integrated
farming systems include pooling and sharing of resources / inputs, efficient
use of family labour, conservation, preservation and utilization of farm
biomass including non-conventional feed and fodder resources, effective
use of FYM, regulation of soil fertility and health, income and employment
generation for many people and increase in economic status by utilization
of under-utilized resources in an efficient and remunerative manner.
Population pressure on land leading to division and fragmentation of land
holdings necessitates identification and adoption of suitable farming
systems (Korikantimath and Manjumath, 2008).
Farming system models of different situation could enhance the
productivity of the farm, improve the profitability of the farmer and sustain
the productivity of the soil through recycling of organic source of nutrients
from the enterprises involved. IFS also helps to realize money round the
year by sale of milk, egg, meat, edible mushroom, bee keeping, etc. to the
resource poor farmers. Unlike crop activity, where the involvement of
laboures for individual operations are bulky with limited number of
operations at wider interval. The enterprise linkage provides good
opportunity for day to day operations with limited labourers. This helps the
family labourers of the rainfed farmers to work for the farm round the year.
The standard of living of the farmer will also improve substantially by the
linkage of biogas, quality food commodities for the family use, availability
of money round the year etc.
Farming system approach envisages the integration of agroforestry,
horticulture, dairy, sheep and goat rearing, fishery, poultry, pigeon, biogas,
mushroom, sericulture, apiculture and by-product utilization of crops with
the main goal of increasing the income and standard of living of small and
marginal farmers. The challenge is to upgrade the technological and social
disciplines on a continuous basis and integrate these disciplines to suit the
region and the farm families in a manner that may ensure increased
production with stability, ecological sustainability and equitability.
Research studies carried out in different situations viz., low land,
irrigated upland and upland have demonstrated the technical feasibility and
economic viability of the integrated farming systems. Besides facilitating
cash income, these farming system models generate additional employment

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for family labour and minimize the risk associated with conventional
cropping system.
Global perspective
Population in the most tropical countries is pressing hard for
producing more food from the limited areas available for cultivation. The
goal of sustainable agriculture can be achieved by seeking the optimal use
of internal production inputs in a way that provide acceptable levels of
sustainable crop productivity and livestock production resulting in
economically profitable return. Integrated farming system approach is not
only a reliable way of obtaining fairly high productivity, but also a concept
of ecological soundness leading to sustainable agriculture
The Technical Advisory Committee of the CGIAR defined
sustainable agriculture as successful management of resources for
agriculture to satisfy changing human needs while maintaining or
enhancing the quality of the environment and conserving natural resources.
Sustainable agriculture is ecologically sound, economically viable, socially
just, Humane, adaptable.
Farming system approach is therefore, designated as a set of
agricultural activities organized into functional unit(s) to profitably harness
solar energy while preserving land productivity and environmental quality
and maintaining desirable level of biological diversity and ecological
stability. The emphasis is more on a system rather than gross output. In
other words ‘farming system’ is a resource management strategy to achieve
economic and sustained production to meet diverse requirement of farm
household while preserving resource base and maintaining a high level
environment quality (Lal and Miller, 1990).
Farming system is a complex inter-related matrix of soil, plants,
animals, implements, power, labour, capital and other inputs controlled in
part by families and influenced to varying degrees by political, economic
institutional and social forces that operate at many levels.
The components of IFS include Agriculture, fish farming,
horticulture, duck rearing, forestry, pigeon rearing, mushroom cultivation,
sericulture, Azolla farming, dairy, kitchen gardening, poultry, fodder
production, goat rearing, nursery, sheep rearing, seed production, piggery,
vermiculture. The different IFS are: i) crop-livestock - forestry farming
system, ii) crop-fish-poultry farming system, iii) crop-livestock-poultry-
fishery farming system and iv) Labour intensive system for small area.
Country scenario
India is the second most populous country in the world. With the
population growth rate of over two per cent, the population is increasing
year after year. Therefore, the challenge of meeting the basic requirements

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of this increasing population is a major concern. The green revolution, a
follow-up of modern agriculture has helped to solve the problem to a great
extent. But the exploitative tendency of modern agriculture aimed at higher
production per unit area, by using chemical fertilizers and pesticides is
infact, rapidly degrading the basic production capacity of the ecosystem.
During the past few years, in many situations, over exploitation of natural
resources initially did have short term gains, but has resulted in degradation
of soil fertility and productivity and ecological imbalance. It has created
serious problems of salinity, water logging, soil erosion, host of complex
pests and diseases, menace and degradation of environment including air
and water pollution. Therefore, to maintain the productivity of the land even
after harvesting higher crop yields, on a sustainable basis and also to
increase the productivity of the land year after year, a sound integrated
farming system has to be developed. Such an integrated farming system
should have the objective to produce enough to meet the genuine demand
and needs of the society, be profitable to the farmer, conserve natural
resource base and provide healthy and safe environment in the long run.
Considering the large variations that exist in soils, climatic situations in-
different locations and economic and social conditions of the farmers,
alternate integrated farming systems are to be developed (Nadagouda,
2000).
The future of Indian agriculture depends heavily on the development
of appropriate farming system as applicable to resource poor farm families
and as suited to different agro ecological zones. The endowment of
abundant sunshine, long growing season, responsive soil types and
combination of surface water, ground water and seasonal rains and above
all a progressive peasantry, offer vast scope for an intensive farming system
though multiple cropping and diversified farming including animal
husbandry, forestry, sericulture, fisheries and the like (Patil et al., 2008).
Integrated farming systems- profitability and sustainability
Integrated systems are about bringing crops and livestock into an
interactive relationship with the expectation that together, as opposed to
alone, they will generate positive effects on outcomes of interest, such as
profitability overall productivity, and conservation of non-renewable
resources. It is, however, much more than this. The “system” includes the
environment, soil characteristics, landscape positions, genetics, and ecology
of plant and animals. It involves management practices, goals and lifestyles
of humans, social constraints, economic opportunities, marketing strategies
and externalities including energy supplies and costs and impacts of farm
policies. Systems also reflect natural resources available and the impact on
their use, wildlife issues, target and non-target plant and animal species,
micro-organisms, and indeed all of the definable and indefinable factors
that ultimately interact to result in an outcome that is never constant (Allen

4
et al., 2007).
Integration of various farm enterprises in a farm ensures growth and
stability in overall productivity and profitability. It also ensures recycling of
residues, optimization of resources, minimization of risk and generation of
employment. Various enterprises that could be included in farming system
are crops, vegetables, fruits, flower cultivation, dairy, poultry, fish, goat,
pig, sericulture, mushroom cultivation, agroforestry, bee keeping,
silviculture, agro-based industries and food processing. A judicious mix of
enterprises complementary to cropping and suited to the given farm
situation and farmer's preference would bring overall prosperity.
Under farming system, the farm is viewed in a holistic manner.
Farmers are subjected to many socio-economic, bio-physical, institutional,
administrative and technological constraints. Farming system conceptually
is a set of elements or components that are inter-related which interact
among themselves. At the centre of the interaction is the farmer exercising
control and choice regarding the type and results of interaction (Lal and
Millar, 1990).
Role of integrated farming system
IFS approach as a biophysical and socio-economic capsule has
immense potential to address instability of income, food and nutritional
insecurity, unemployment, vulnerability and poverty of farmers as well as
landless laborers. The urgency for addressing issues of livelihood security
mainstreaming rural poor to the benefits of production technologies and
development process in an integrated manner in the target districts needs no
emphasis. This calls for establishing synergy and complimentary to both at
production system levels and beyond production, farm activities to non-
farm activities. IFS for optimizing economic returns from resource
allocation under different agro-ecological scenarios such as, totally rainfed,
rainfed farming supported by WHS and rainfed farming supported by
underground water extraction are the need of the hour. In this action
research study, the IFS will be used to pave the way for growth and
sustainable development for larger uptake.

Objectives of integrated farming systems

i) To identify existing farming systems in specific area and assess
their relative viability;
ii) To formulate farming system models involving main and allied
enterprises for different farming situations;

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 iii) To ensure optional utilization and conservation of available re-
sources and effective recycling of farm residues within system;
iv) To maintain sustainable production system without damaging
resources base environment; and
v) To raise overall profitability of farm household by
complementing main allied enterprises with each other.
vi) Analysis of existing farming systems in terms of resource use
efficiency, production and productivity, income, employment and
sustainability across different agro-climatic zones.
vii) Evaluation and identification of farming system through
participatory approach that ensures threshold level of income for
the livelihood security.
viii) Development and evaluation of synergic effects and their actions
associated with different farming systems.
ix) Developing appropriate institutional and market linkage including
value addition for enhancing sustainability.
x) Imparting training and capacity building of various stakeholders
on IFS.
Goal of IFS
The goals of IFS are maximization of yield of all component
enterprises to provide steady and stable Income rejuvenation/amelioration
of system’s productivity - and achieve agro-ecological equilibrium. A void
build-up of insect-pests, diseases and weed population through natural
cropping system management and keep them at low level of intensity.
Reducing the use of chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides to provide
chemical I free healthy produce and environment to the society.
Components of IFS
The components of IFS include Agriculture, fish farming,
horticulture, duck rearing, forestry, pigeon rearing, mushroom cultivation,
sericulture, Azolla farming, dairy, kitchen gardening, poultry, fodder
production, goat rearing, nursery, sheep rearing, seed production, piggery,
vermiculture. The different IFS are: i) crop-livestock - forestry farming
system, ii) crop-fish-poultry farming system, iii) crop-livestock-poultry-
fishery farming system, and iv) Labour intensive farming system for small
area (Patil et al., 2008).

Food and fodder security through integrated farming system approach

Sustaining household food has been an issue of prime importance to
majority of the farmers belonging to the categories of small and marginal

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holdings. Farmers under these categories are economically poor, work in
diverse, location specific, risk-prone environment invite attention to
develop technologies for inter-disciplinary enterprises as farming system
research. It envisages development of technologies by integration of allied
enterprises with existing crop components for harnessing the productivity
and profitability of each enterprise by taking into account the farmer
priorities, socio-economic conditions and resource available with them.
Thus farming system is the appropriate combination of farm enterprises
viz., crops, livestock, fishery, poultry, mushroom, bee keeping and the
means available to the farms serve as valuable manures for recycling within
the system. It further ensures interaction with the environment without
dislocation of the ecological and socio economic balance on one hand and
attempt to meet the national goals on the other. Integration of economically
viable, socially accepted and environmentally safe enterprises, along with
existing farming systems has been found enterprising in many of the states
including TamilNadu (Jayanthi et al., 2007), Maharashtra (Shelke et al.,
2001), Punjab (Gill, 2001) and Uttar Pradesh (Singh et al., 2006). While
assessing the need of farming system approach in Indian context
(Swaminathan, 1990) described that having attained food security for the
nation, the future strategy would necessitate a change in priorities through
diversification to encompass farm level horticulture, agro-forestry, animal
production and fisheries etc. in to the subsistence level farming avocation.
This calls for holistic configuration of different farm enterprises (Singh et
al., 2008).
Of late farming community in India has been facing new challenges
of food and nutrition security, human health and structural adjustments to
comply WTO stipulations on the one hand and the sustainable environment
on the other. The slow growth of the agricultural sector is mainly due to
stagnation in productivity growth and a grave concern for policy makers
and planners. The key challenges to Indians agriculture lies in designing,
developing and managing farming systems that enabled farmers to be
efficient, equitable and sustainable in the bio-economic, bio-physical and
socio-cultural environment.
The existing resource base of large segment of farming community
does not permit them to derive full benefit of modern technology. Hence the
concept of strengthening resource base and optimum allocation of resources
is of crucial importance. Therefore it is imperative to evolve suitable
strategy for undertaking more than one enterprise in the farm to increase
productivity and supplement the income. This can be effectively achieved
by determining optimum sustainable farming systems, resulting in
increasing the farm income. “Farming” is the process of producing
economic and animal products, and “System” implies set of interrelated
practices organized in to the functional entity. “Farming system” is resource
management strategy to achieve economic and sustained agricultural

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production to meet diverse requirements of the farm household and
preserving resource base for future generation and maintaining high
environmental quality. Within an agro-ecological zone several farming
systems will typically be found with variations in resource endowments,
preferences and socio-economic positions of the rural households.
Implementation of IFS for distinct protection systems with weak
livelihood security such as totally rainfed farming, rainfed farming with
Water Harvesting Structures (WHS), rainfed farming with WHS and
ground water irrigation and Landless labourers household with livestock,
will substantially improve the livelihood security on a sustainable basis.
Infrastructural support to facilitate IFS, Soil and Water Conservation
(SWC), will enhance economic security, employment opportunities,
reducing drudgery and enhancing livelihood security. Appropriate
institutional linkages will improve market orientation, efficiency, value
addition and livelihood security. Human resource development through
capacity building in IFS and Income Generating Activity (IGA) enables to
counter the challenges of vulnerable areas in the state. Social capital
formation builds collective action, cooperation, trust, social cohesion
required for improving livelihood security through IFS.
Farming system concept
In farming system, all the activities, decision, management,
input/output, purchase/sale and resource (s) utilized make the matrix which
interacts with socio-economic and bio-physical environment. Farm
activities interact with market forces (socio-economic) and ecosystem (bio-
physical) for purchasing inputs and disposing outputs by utilizing and
degrading natural resources (land, water, air, sunshine, etc.). Sustainability
is the objective of the farming system where production process is
optimized through efficient utilization of inputs without infringing on the
quality of environment with which it interacts.
The overall objective is to evolve technically feasible and
economically viable farming system models by integrating cropping with
allied enterprises for irrigated, rainfed, hilly and coastal areas with a view to
generate income and employment from the farm.
Scope of farming system
Farming enterprises include crop, livestock, poultry, fish, tree crops,
plantation crops, sericulture, etc. A combination of one or more enterprises
with cropping, when carefully chosen, planned and executed, gives greater
dividends than a single enterprise, especially for small and marginal
farmers. Farm as a unit is to be considered and planned for effective
integration of the enterprises to be combined with crop production activity.
Integration of farm enterprises depends on many factors such as,
1. Soil and climatic features of the selected area.

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2. Availability of the resources, land, labour and capital.
3. Present level of utilization of resources
4. Economics of proposed integrated farming system.
5. Managerial skill of the farmer
For any sustainable and economically viable farming system, in-situ
conservation of rain water to the maximum possible extent (which
automatically takes care of soil conservation) and build up of soil fertility
and productivity largely through the incorporation of organic manures but
only supplemented by minimum extent of need based chemical
fertilizers/amendments are the primary considerations. In situ rain water
harvesting and conserving can be achieved by appropriate bunding followed
by land levelling and strengthening of the bunds by planting trees and
grasses on the bunds. Regular maintenance of bunds and interbund
management practices such as carrying out all cultural operations across the
slope, compartment bunding, mulching, application of organic manures to
improve the infiltration rate of soils etc. will help to conserve soil and
water. Soil fertility build up and its regular maintenance can be achieved on
sustainable basis only through the application of organic manures such as
FYM, compost, vermicompost, crop residues and green manures. Building
up of soil fertility through organics is very important since with such a
practice, stability of increasing trend in crop yields can be achieved as
compared to sudden rise and fall of crop yields when chemical fertilizers
are used. Regular use of organics encourages multiplication of beneficial
soil microbial population and the soil borne pathogens are controlled.
Organics such as vermicompost also make the plant resistant to certain
pests and diseases. Moreover, quality of the produce from such a crop will
be superior as compared to the produce obtained when chemical fertilizers
are used. In irrigated agriculture, after few years of irrigation, degradation
of soil is very common. But, wherever green manuring is practiced as a
regular feature, degradation of soil has not taken place. At present, it has
been the experience of most of the farmers that the farming under the
existing situation is not a profitable enterprise. The major reason for such a
situation is the high cost of cultivation which is increasing year after year.
Therefore, any effort to reduce the cost of cultivation by
avoiding/minimizing the use of chemicals and middlemen in agriculture
will definitely bring in stability of agricultural production and farming will
be a profitable concern.
Crop management practices such as crop rotation, mixed cropping,
INM and IPM need to be incorporated in all the farming situations. Crop
rotation and mixed cropping have many advantages. Build-up of
pests/diseases and depletion of plant nutrients from the soil can be avoided
by following the simple practice of crop rotation. It will also help to build

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soil fertility when a legume crop is involved in the crop rotation. Mixed
cropping when followed in an appropriate manner will increase total output
under normal situations but will act as an insurance against failure of crops
under abnormal conditions. When a legume is involved as one of the
component crops, in mixed cropping, it will improve soil fertility. Mixed
cropping is also advantageous in minimizing the spread of pests and
diseases and is efficient in the utilization of soil moisture, nutrients and
sunlight. Instead of depending solely on chemical fertilizers and
amendments, a combination of organic manures, biofertilizers and chemical
fertilizers is always better to maintain good soil health and at the same time
to harvest higher crop yields. In case of plant protection, sole dependence
on chemicals and their indiscriminate use has resulted in making the insect
pests resistant to chemical pesticides, thereby increasing the dosage of
pesticides for the control of pests year after year. Moreover specific
pesticides are to be used for particular pest at its particular stage. Many
farmers have very little knowledge of such specific plant protection
measures which is again complicated by almost frequent changes in the
plant protection schedules. Under such situations, IPM has definite
advantages, but complete elimination of chemicals in a phased manner from
the IPM schedule and developing plant protection methods with appropriate
cultural practices, cropping systems and use of bioagents and plant products
will be ideal.
Mixed farming involving allied enterprises which are
complementary to agriculture, such as dairy, apiculture, sericulture, inland
fisheries, sheep/ goat rearing and poultry will provide employment and
additional income to the farmer throughout the year. It will also act as an
insurance against crop failures due to climatic vagaries and will help to
build soil fertility when animal wastes are properly utilized for preparation
of manures.
Integrated Agro-forestry system
Agro forestry is a land use system that involves deliberate retention,
introduction of tree or woody perennials in crop/animal production to
benefit from the resultant ecological and economic intersections. (Nair,
1993). Agro-forestry based production system are capable of yielding leaf
fodder, wood and food at the same time besides conserving and
rehabilitating the ecosystem. The woody perennial/tree is one of the
components in such a system. Agro-forestry, an important part of integrated
farm production systems in four major agro-ecosystems, determining the
system productivity and profitability. Area under agro-forestry can be
covered depending upon the land capability classification. Land capability
classification is the systematic arrangement of different kinds of land
according to properties which determine the ability of land to produce
virtually on permanent basis. The classification is based on land feature and

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inherent potentials. Land classes I-III or IV are categorized for agricultural
or arable land use whereas land classes IV/V -VIII are categorized for non-
agricultural or non-arable land use. It is being increasingly realized that in
order to derive maximum benefits from the available resources and
prevailing patterns of agriculture, a land use planning is essential to achieve
a sustainable use of land, water and vegetation. In India 175 m ha low
productive wasteland is the potential areas for agroforestry developmental
activities (Shrotriya et al., 2000)..
Agro forestry /Agri-horticulture is a very important component in an
integrated farming system. Inclusion of tree component in the farming has
many advantages. Some of the important advantages of the agro-forestry
system are:
a. It meets the human needs of food, fuel, fodder, timber and pesticides
(eg. neem).
b. It provides sustainable income with low cost of cultivation and
returns are higher as compared to any cropping system involving
only annual crops.
c. It controls soil erosion and improves soil fertility and productivity by
regular leaf fall and tapping the nutrients from lower regions of the
soil.
d. It very well adjusts with any vagaries of nature. Efficient use of
erratic rainfall is possible by trees.
e. Trees act as resting place for birds, which are relatively beneficial for
agriculture, since harm done by birds is more than compensated by
their action for control of insect pests.
f. Shade created by trees is beneficial in raising certain shade loving
crops and horticulture nursery and for vermiculture.
Summing up, it can be said that an integrated farming system
involving annual crops, tree crops (beneficial MPTS and fruit trees), dairy,
poultry, inland fisheries, goat/sheep rearing, apiculture, sericulture and
organic farming by minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides
is a profitable, sustainable and eco-friendly agriculture which needs to be
practiced by each and every farmer (Nadagouda, 2000).
Integration of Enterprises
In agriculture, crop husbandry is the main activity. The income
obtained from cropping is hardly sufficient to sustain the farm family
throughout the year. Assured regular cash flow is possible when cropping is
combined with other enterprises. Judicious combination of enterprises,
keeping in view of the environmental conditions of a locality will pay
greater dividends. At the same time, it will also promote effective recycling

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of residues/wastes.
Choice of Enterprise: The basic points that are to be considered while
choosing appropriate enterprise in Integrated farming system (IFS) are:
1. Soil and climatic features of an area/locality
2. Resource availability with the farmer
3. Present level of utilization of resources
4. Return/income from the existing farming system
5. Economics of proposed integrated farming system
6. Farmer's managerial skill
7. Social customs prevailing in the locality
Enterprise integration
Livestock is the best complementary enterprise with cropping,
especially during the adverse years. Installation of a biogas plant in crop-
livestock system will make use of the wastes, at the same time provides
valuable manure and gas for cooking and lighting. In a wetland farm, there
are greater avenues for fishery, duck farming and buffalo rearing. Utilizing
the rice straw, mushroom production can be started. Under irrigated
conditions (garden lands), inclusion of sericulture, poultry and piggery
along with arable crop production is an accepted practice. The poultry
component in this system can make use of the grains produced in the farm
as feed. Pigs are the unique components that can be reared with the wastes
which are unfit for human consumption. In rainfed farming, sheep and goat
rearing form an integral part of the landscape. Sericulture can be introduced
in rainfed farming, provided the climatic conditions permit it. Agro-
forestry (silviculture and silvi-horticulture) are the other activities which
can be included under dryland conditions. In the integrated system,
selection of enterprise should be on the cardinal principle that there should
be minimal competition and maximum complementary effect among the
enterprises.
Integrated farming system meets spread out demand for food, income
and diverse requirements of food grains, vegetables, milk, egg, meat etc.,
thereby improving the nutrition of small-scale farmers with limited re
sources. Integration of different agriculturally related enterprises with crops
provides ways to recycle the products and by products of one component as
input to another and reduce the cost of production and increase the total
income of the farm.
Choice of crops and allied activities
Integrated farming system focuses around a few selected,
interdependent, interrelated and often inter-locking production systems,

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Normally, they are based on crops, livestock, and related subsidiary
professions. This integrated nature involves the utilization of primary and
secondary produces of one system as basic input of the other systems,
making them mutually integrated as one whole unit. This incidentally helps
to reduce the dependence on procurement of inputs from open market,
making the system sustainable on long term basis in the development of
sustainable farming system models, the concepts of intensification,
diversification and value addition must be kept in view. The interaction
would also help to improve productivity in various activities
IFS-expected outcome
Enhanced income : IFS provide opportunity to make use of the produce of
one component as input on another component at the least cost. By
reductions the cost of production, the profitability per rupee invested is
enhanced by eliminating the interference of middleman in most of the
inputs used. Small ruminants like goats and sheep form an important
economic and ecological niche in Asian mixed farming systems.
Approximately, 60% of goats and 20% of sheep population are in Asia. The
sale of goats contributes 30% of the total farm income in India. The IFS
research in Tamil Nadu provides interesting research results. In a small
farm of 2 ha, goat component added an additional income of Rs 12,000/-
with 6 goats. In north-western and deltaic districts. In the rainfed black soil
areas in Southern Tamil Nadu tree legumes like Leucaena leucocephala
(Subabul), Acacia senegal (Gum Arabic tree), Prosophis cineraria (Khejri)
and perennial fodder grass with inclusion of six goats yielded an additional
income of Rs 12,500 per year from a farm area of 1.6 ha. Reports state that
for farm households, the average net income is shared between crops and
livestock in the ratio of about 3:1.
Livestock keeping was more suited to small land holders to fetch
additional income to the farm family. Reports show that, there was an
increase in the return to the tune of 148% due to the introduction of poultry
cum dairy based integrated farming systems over cropping alone.
Employment generation
Gainful employment is one of the major considerations for evolving
any farming system. IFS under dryland with sorghum + cowpea, Leucaena
leucocephala + Cenchrus ciliaris (Anjan grass), Acacia senegal + grasses
with goat rearing generated an additional employment I of 113 mandays/ha
annually in a farm size of 1 ha. Maintenance of four milch cows with
cropping could generate an additional employment of 274 man days as
against cropping alone in Thanjavur delta in Tamil Nadu. Integration of
crop - dairy - biogas - silviculture I - spawn production could generate an
additional employment of 562 mandays than cropping alone under lift
irrigated garden lands. Integration of duck cum fish culture and dairying

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could generate 396 and 702 mandays, respectively, as against 252 man days
with rice based cropping alone in Cauvery delta region of I Tamil Nadu.
Cropping with poultry + fish + mushroom' generated the highest
employment of 798 mandays. The allied enterprises added employment to
the tune of 423 mandays providing opportunity for 1.16 family members to
be employed per day round the year.
IFS study at Bhubaneshwar for a period of two years comprising of
field and horticultural crops, fishery, poultry, duckery, apiary, mushroom,
dairy and agro-forestry generated an additional employment of 573 man
days on a small piece of land of 1.25 ha. At Kasargode, one hectare of
coconut gardening required 150 man days and it increased to 1000 man
days on introduction of dairy based integrated farming. Cropping alone gen-
erated 400 mandays as against 904 in integrated farming systems with six
buffalo. Cattle and buffalo rearing involved intensive use of family labour
and offered significant employment opportunity for small and marginal
farmers. A herd of 200 goats under integrated farming systems provIded
full time employment for two persons throughout the year. Labour
utilization was found to increase by 182% in integrated farming systems by
the introduction of 270 poultry birds in a crop cum poultry enterprise.
Cropping alone generated I 245 man days and integrated farming systems
with sericulture in one hectare generated 598 man days in a year.

Nutrient recycling
Replenishment of soil fertility status through substantial
improvement in the post harvest available NPK nutrients could be achieved
even with higher removal of nutrients through crop uptake by the
application of recycled or composted pigeon and poultry manure combined
with inorganic fertilizer. Application of 50% nitrogen through fertilizer and
50% through goat manure enhanced the soil fertility status and provided
better opportunity for recycling of manure to the crops. Continuous dairy
based- farming system increases organic carbon and available status of
nutrients.
Alternate land use options
IFS provides alternate land use systems which are more appropriate
in areas where subsistence farming is practiced in fragile ecosystems and it
possess more potentiality and flexibility in land use than the traditional crop
production systems.
Agrisilvicultural system – lesser risk
Agro-forestry is an integrated self sustained land management
system, which involves woody perennials with agricultural crops including

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pasture/livestock simultaneously or sequentially on the same unit of land
and meeting ecological as well as socio economic needs of the people. Due
to low initial cost and ensured seasonal income through inter cropping and
supply of different kinds of raw materials to support cottage industries, tree
farming could certainly offset the risky farmering especially under dryland
conditions.
Agri-horticultural system – higher income
Fruit-based cropping systems are not only known for their economic
viability but also generate employment and give assurance against crop
failure during drought years. Maize, sorghum and cowpea are compatible
with trees like Psisdium gujava, Eugenia jamolana and Annona squamosa.
Under rainfed conditions in alfisol, agrihorticulture systems give the highest
benefit cost ratio compared to annual cropping.
Silvi/hortipastural system - improved) sustainability
Horticulture is one of the agroforestry systems which involve
integration of fruit trees with pasture. Cenchrus ciliaris and Cenchrus
glaucus are grasses and Prosopis cineraria and Acacia senegal are the trees
suited for the system. Stylo and Cenchrus are compatible fodder crops with
guava, custard apple and mango. In Southern zone of Tamil Nadu, the gross
income and B : C ratio obtained from sorghum + tamarind, sorghum +
neem, blackgram + neem, blackgram + tamarind were found sustainable.

IFS - solution to energy and fodder crisis

Solve energy crisis : It is expected that the entire world is going to suffer
for want of fossil fuel from 2030 AD. So it becomes inevitable to identify
an alternative source to solve our energy crisis within a span of 3 to 4
decades. In IFS, by way of effective recycling techniques the organic
wastes available in the system can be utilized to generate biogas. Though
this may not be a source for complete supplementation, to certain extent of
the energy crisis can be solved.
Solve fodder crisis : In IFS, each and every piece of land area is
effectively utilized. Growing of perennial fodder trees in the borders and
water courses only helps in supplementing legume fodder but also enriches
soil nutrients by fixing the atmospheric nitrogen. In the cropped land, IFS
envisages intensification of cropping by including legume fodder like
cowpea either as second tier or as third tier in the system. These practices
relieve the crisis of non-availability of quality fodder to the animal
component linked.
Solve fuel and timber crisis : The national demand of fuel wood in 2020
AD is 400 million m3, whereas the current production is only 20 million m3.
Similarly, the requirement of industrial wood in 2020 AD is 64.4 million m 3

15
and the current production level is just 11 million m 3. The present level of
production should be increased to twenty folds in case of fuel wood and six
folds in industrial wood. This could be possible to certain extent by
afforestation programme in the shrub jungles and sparse forest areas. In IFS
by linking agro-forestry appropriately, the production level of fuel wood
and industrial wood can be enhanced without detrimental effect on crop
activity in the field level.
Avoid degradation of forests : There is a vast gap between the demand
and production level as far as fuel wood and timber are concerned. This
naturally induces the users to encroach on the forests nearby illegally to
bridge the gap. Right now our forest area is lesser (22%) than the prescribed
norm of 33 per cent, to the geographical area. Even the forest area at
present has more than 2/3rd sparse vegetation. By linking Agro-forestry in
IFS, the degrading of forest area could be minimized to certain extent by
supplementation of fuel and timber wood.
Land Reclamation and Integrated Farming System
It is estimated that about seven million hectare of land in this country
is affected by varying degrees of soil salinity and sodicity. Such
problematic soils are inhibiting agricultural production in the affected areas.
The farmers, generally unaware of the magnitude of the problem, continue
to grow crops without soil reclamation measures and harvest very poor crop
yields. In the spread of Saline Sodic Soils West Bengal ranks third, after UP
and Gujarat, having an area of 0.85 million hectare of salt affected soil
distributed mainly in 24-Parganas and Midnapore districts. Sundarbans
areas of 24 Parganas district alone constitute about 94 per cent salt affected
area of the State.
Constraints
There are certain constraints like heavy investment in the initial
stage, especially for the procurement of enterprises, involvement of multi-
disciplinary activities likes animal husbandry, fishery, sericulture,
horticulture, forestry, agricultural engineering etc, non-availability of im-
proved cultivars/varieties/ breeds of livestock at farm site, lack of know-
how especially on the constituents of feed and the possibility of
supplementing from their own produces with cheaper rate and lack of
marketing for the produces from different enterprises at village level are
anticipated in the progress of this technology.
Conclusion
Farming system models at different situations could enhance the
productivity of the farm as whole, improve the profitability in terms of
additional net return and continuous flow of income to the farmer and
sustain the soil health through residue addition and improve the major and
micro nutrient supply effective recycling of crop residues and livestock

16
waste results in environmentally safe disposal. The enterprise linkage
provides good opportunity for regular and gainful on-farm employment for
farm family members with equi-temporal distribution. This also helps for
nutrition security through optimized carbohydrate, protein, fat and energy
supply by integrating allied enterprises (Jayanthi and Vennila, 2008).

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