Integrated Farming System for Sustainability and Livelihood Security - Success Storyof a Farmer of Bengaluru Rural District

摘要

A preliminary survey of farmers conducted at Chikkamaranahalli village of Nelamangala Taluk, Bangalore rural district under National Innovation in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project revealed that the area was dominated by resource poor marginal and small farmers. The predominant resources, crops and cropping system of the area were assessed through participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques. Monocropping of finger millet with akkadi crops was dominated in the domain besides other problems like imbalanced fertilizer use, delayed onset of monsoon, intermittent dry spells, lack of awareness about improved varieties and dryland production practices. Therefore an investigation was carried out from 2014-15 to 2017-18, to find out a sustainable cropping system model, which is economically viable by integrating the different components like crops, livestock and fishery in an area of 2.5 acre land holding. Four cropping system models viz., F,: finger millet based cropping system, F2: Groundnut based cropping system, F3: Pulse based cropping system and F4: Mango based Agri-Horti system were developed to find out the best package on the landholding suitable for the region. Intercropping of finger millet - pigeonpea in 8:2 proportions fetched higher net returns of Rs. 7622 ha-1 compared to farmers practice of growing akkadi finger millet (Rs. 4129 ha1). Similar was the trend in groundnut based cropping system, where in intercropping of pigeonpea with groundnut (8:2) resulted in higher groundnut pod equivalent yield of 434 kg ha"1 and B:C ratio of 3.43. With respect to pulse based intercropping system, intercropping of pigeonpea with field bean fetched higher returns (Rs.7936 ha1) compared to that of with cowpea (Rs. 6767 ha1). In mango basedagri-horti system growing of finger millet/ horsegram along with mango not only helped in generating additional remunerative income of (Rs. 2804 ha1) but also enhanced the soil fertility status compared to growing sole mango crop. Livestock was an integral part of farming system along with other agricultural components like horticulture, vegetables, agro forestry etc. Integration of fisheries along with livestock coiaponents fetched net returns of Rs.6000 and 39650/year respectively and required higherman days 235 over conventional cropping system. Thus integrated farming system with livestock + fisheries along with profitable intercropping system was most beneficial system which could augment in increasing the income of farmers to improve their socio-economic status.