Coconut based integrated farming: A climate-smart model for food security and economic prosperity

A coconut-based integrated farming system (IFS) model suited for lowlands was developed at the Integrated Farming System Research Station (IFSRS), Karamana, Kerala State, India, under Kerala Agricultural University. The area of the model was decided as 0.2 ha, matching the average per capita land availability of a marginal farmer in the State. Apart from the major crop coconut, intercrops, such as vegetables, fruit crops, spices, fodder and tuber crops were included in the model. The allied enterprises integrated were livestock, azolla, and agroforestry. Tree components of the model comprised of teak, jack, breadfruit, garcinia and mango. Research data for five years revealed that the model generated food products above the requirement of a four-member family, and the surplus production could contribute to farmer’s income. The productivity under the IFS model was enhanced ten-folds compared to that under the sole crop of coconut for the same area. Plant nutrients were generated within the farm through organic recycling, which contributed to the substantial saving of chemical fertilizers. The system was found climate-smart because of reduced use of chemical fertilizers and net negative emission of greenhouse gases mostly achieved through agroforestry. This IFS model could also ensure considerable employment generation. The model could be adopted by farmers of lowland tracts of Kerala having similar agro-climatic features for better economic returns and environmental benefits.

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Comparative analysis of the economic returns to management in single crop, fish, poultry and an integrated farming system in Obudu, Cross River State

Tropical Journal of Science and Technology ◽

10.47524/tjst.v1i2.4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 12-24

Author(s):

Lawrence Ugbe ◽

Ukelina Christopher ◽

Agim Marcel ◽

Urim Mathias

Keyword(s):

Organic Waste ◽

Low Cost ◽

Farming System ◽

Fish Farm ◽

Poultry Farm ◽

Economic Returns ◽

Cross River State ◽

Integrated Farming ◽

Returns To Investment ◽

Poultry Droppings

A four year (2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019) field experiment was conducted to compare the economic returns to investment in single enterprise with integrated farming comprising of rice farm alongside with fish culture and poultry farm using mostly organic waste as feeds. In 2016 a rice farm was cultivated on a piece of land already procured for the experiment, fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides were all applied. At maturity the rice was harvested, processed, bagged in 100kg bags and sold. Economic returns to management were calculated according to the methods of CIMMYT, (1988). In 2017, only fish farm was established, fed and harvested at maturity and sold to consumers. Economic returns to management were also calculated and recorded. In 2018, a poultry farm was established, 200 broilers were reared to maturity and sold, economic returns to management were calculated and recorded. Then in 2019, an integrated farm comprising rice farm, fish farm and poultry farm were all established in the same field. About 70% of the feeds used were organic waste collected mostly from poultry droppings. The silt from the pond was also used as fertilizer for the rice farm, while the rice bran was also fed to the poultry. The output from the farms were harvested and sold, and the economic returns to investment for each farm calculated. The result showed that the returns to investment were significantly (p<0.05) higher in integrated farming system than in the single enterprise farm, due to the low cost of production using low cost inputs in integrated farming compare to the use of high cost synthetic inputs in single enterprise. The paper therefore recommended that farmers should adopt integrated farming system with low cost inputs for higher profit than the single enterprise farming.

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EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS UNDER INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEM (IFS) FOR SMALL AND MARGINAL FARMERS UNDER SEMI-HUMID CLIMATIC ENVIRONMENT

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479712000087 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 48 (3) ◽

pp. 399-413 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

SANJEEV KUMAR ◽

N. SUBASH ◽

S. SHIVANI ◽

S. S. SINGH ◽

A. DEY

Keyword(s):

Nutrient Recycling ◽

Soil Health ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farming System ◽

Economic Returns ◽

Farm Families ◽

Net Returns ◽

Integrated Farming ◽

Climatic Environment ◽

Phosphorus And Potassium

SUMMARYFor efficient utilisation of available farm resources and to increase the income per unit of land, seven integrated farming systems were developed and different combinations of crop, animal, fish and bird were evaluated at three locations of Eastern India, viz. Patna, Vaishali and Munger districts, to sustain productivity, profitability, employment generation and nutrient recycling for lowland situations from 2007–2008 to 2009–2010. Among the tested different Integrated Farming System (IFS) models, viz. (i) crop + fish + poultry, (ii) crop + fish + duck, (iii) crop + fish + goat, (iv) crop + fish + duck + goat, (v) crop + fish + cattle, (vi) crop + fish + mushroom and (vii) crop alone, crop + fish + cattle model recorded higher rice (Oryza sativa L.) grain equivalent yield (RGEY) (18.76 t/ha) than any other combinations, but in terms of economics, crop + fish + duck + goat model supersedes over all other combinations. The highest average net returns (USD 2655/yr) were recorded from crop + fish + duck + goat system over all other systems tested here. Higher average employment of 656 man-days/year were also recorded from crop + fish + duck + goat system because of better involvement of farm family labours throughout the year. Based on a sustainability index (SI) derived from different models, crop + fish + duck + goat system was found superior with a maximum sustainability for net returns (73.1%), apart from the addition of appreciable quantity of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium into the system in the form of recycled animal and plant wastes. The wastes/by-products of crop/animals were used as input for another component to increase the nutrient efficiency at the farm level through nutrient recycling. Results on integration of different components with crop depending upon suitability and preferences were found encouraging, and to enhance the productivity, economic returns, generating employment for farm families and maintaining soil health of the farm, the crop + fish + duck + goat combination could be adopted in the eastern part of India than cultivating the crop alone on the same piece of land under irrigated condition. Addition of organic residues in the form of animal and plant wastes could also help in improving the soil-health and thereby productivity over a longer period of time with lesser environmental hazards. The livelihoods of small and marginal farmers could be improved by their adoption of IFS technologies on a larger scale, as they provide scope to employ more labour year-round.

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A Comparative Analysis of Economic Farming Activity of Farmers Rice-Livestock Integrated Farming System (RLIFS) and Non RLIFS

International Journal of Engineering & Technology ◽

10.14419/ijet.v7i3.2.18759 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (3.2) ◽

pp. 792

Author(s):

L Lindawati ◽

Mhd. Buhari Sibuea ◽

Desi Novita ◽

Muhammad Ilham Riyadh ◽

Abdurrozzaq Hasibuan

Keyword(s):

Household Income ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Farming System ◽

Waste Utilization ◽

Production Costs ◽

Farm Labor ◽

Rice Farming ◽

Chemical Fertilizers ◽

Integrated Farming ◽

The Cost

Integrated farming system is a system that emphasized linkages and synergism of farming units waste utilization. The objective of this study was to analyze the economic farming activity of Rice Livestock Integrated Farming System (RLIFS) and non RLIFS farmers. The results showed the usage allocation of family and external labor to RLIFS farmers was relatively greater than non RLIFS farmers. The RLIFS farmers’ income of rice farming, other crops and non-agricultural was relatively larger than non RLIFS farmers, while non RLIFS farmers had greater income from livestock (cow and non cow) business and farm labor. The production costs of rice farming and livestock business were still greater in RLIFS farmers although they used manure produced by their own and also provide straw of rice production as animal feed. This was due to several factors (1) The proportion of the cost of using manure was very small in the cost of rice farming if the use of manure only a supporting fertilizer and not the main fertilizer for plant. (2) Some farmers were still buying and using anorganic or chemical fertilizers because of their mindset who wanted fast and instantaneous ones. Some farmers also felt that manure contained less nutrients so they used it in small quantities. The household income total of RLIFS farmers was higher than non RLIFS farmers.

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Greenhouse gas emission from integrated farming system models : A comparative study

Green Farming ◽

10.37322/greenfarming/10.6.2019.696-701 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 696

Author(s):

MEERA A.V. ◽

JOHN J. ◽

SUDHA B. ◽

SAJEENA A. ◽

JACOB D. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Comparative Study ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽

Farming System ◽

Gas Emission ◽

System Models ◽

Integrated Farming

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Enhancement in productivity and income sustainability through Integrated farming system approaches for small and marginal farmers of Eastern India

Journal of AgriSearch ◽

10.21921/jas.v4i2.7777 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

SANJEEV KUMAR ◽

SHIVANI . ◽

S. K. SAMAL ◽

S. K. DWIVEDI ◽

MANIBHUSHAN .

Keyword(s):

Nutrient Recycling ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Fruit Trees ◽

Farming System ◽

Eastern Region ◽

Net Income ◽

System Productivity ◽

Integrated Farming ◽

Systems Models ◽

The Cost

Integration of different components viz. livestock, fishery, horticulture, mushroom etc. along with field crops not only enhanced productivity but by-products (waste) of one component act as input for another component through resource recycling within the system. Six integrated farming systems models with suitable combinations of Crop, vegetables, fruit trees, fish, livestock, mushroom etc. were made and evaluated at the experimental farm of ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna during 2012-16 for harness maximum income, nutrient recycling and employment. Among six combinations, crop + fish + duck + goat resulted as most profitable combination in terms of productivity (RGEY- 22.2t), net income (Rs. 2,15,900/ha), additional employment (170 days/year) with income sustainability index (ISI) by 90.2. Upon nutrient recycling prepared from different wastes from the system Crop + fish + duck + goat combination added N (56.5 kg), P (39.6 kg) and K (42.7 kg) into the soil and reduced the cost of cultivation by 24 percent and was followed by crop + fish + goat combination. Crops grown under IFS mode with different types of manures produced 31 percent higher yield over conventional rice- wheat system. The contribution of crops towards the system productivity ranged from 36.4 to 56.2 %, while fish ranged from 22.0-33.5 %; for goat 25.4-32.9 %; for poultry 38.7 %; for duck 22.0-29.0 %; for cattle 32.2% and for mushroom 10.3 %.

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