Farm management: input-specific technological inclusion in farm business to sustain net profits and benefit:cost ratio.

摘要

In the era of information technology and globalization, farm management at one hand has become easier but on the other hand, more responsible and analytical for the present and towards future. In general, it has been observed that benefit:cost ratio of farm business is either constant or decreasing despite of the reason most of the efficiently managed farms, irrespective to size of holding and country, are harvesting maximum possible yield of various crops. Upon critical analysis of the reasons responsible for constant or meager benefit:cost ratio is the steep price hike of agricultural inputs mainly farm labor wages, energy and inputs like fertilizer, seeds compared to marginal increase in the prices of agricultural produce. This might be due to over all increase in production, surplus granaries and their slower disposal and above all competitive market world over. To overcome this situation, it is imperative to reduce the cost of production with similar or enhanced levels of productivity per unit area. This can be done by adoption inclusion of new techniques/practices through which energy/labour and other input can be minimized or optimized. One of the classical examples in this regard is inclusion of zero-tillage technique to reduce the over loaded bills of energy world over. Therefore, the rate of acceptance of this technique is much higher than any other technology in agriculture at the moment. In this study, zero tillage technique was adopted and energy economy up to 78% was obtained in single planting season only without any adverse effect on grain yields of wheat, linseed and mustard during 2004-05. There are certain other promising technologies also on the verge of wider acceptance by farmer such as dry seeding of rice in place of transplanting. This has the capability of higher production and reduction of more than 20% labor/ha (in this region). However, an effective pre- and post-emergence weedicide for rice is required because weeds in dry seeded rice are a major limitation. Another promising technique available to reduce expenditure on fertilizer input by adopting integrated nutrient management. This technology also has the capability to substitute chemical fertilizer input up to 50%.