NABARD GRADE A (AGRICULTURE)

CHAPTER 7 – FARMING
SYSTEMS

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FARMING SYSTEMS

Farming system is a complex inter-related matrix of soil, plants, animal implements, power,
labor, capital and other inputs controlled in part by farm families and influenced by varying
degrees of political, economic, institutional and social forces that operate at many levels.

In other words, it is defined as unique and reasonably stable arrangement of farm enterprises
that the household manages according to its physical, biological, economic and socio-cultural
environment in accordance with the household’s goals, preferences and resources.

Conceptually it refers to a set of elements or components that are interrelated which interact
among themselves. At the center of the interaction is the farmer exercising control and choice
regarding the type and result of interaction.

It 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 of environmental quality.

For example, it represents integration of farm enterprises such as cropping systems, animal
husbandry, fisheries, forestry, sericulture, poultry etc. for optimal utilization of resources
bringing prosperity to the farmer. The farm products other than the economic products, for
which the crops are grown, can be better utilized for productive purposes in the farming
systems approach.

u Farming systems concept

In farming system, the farm is viewed in a holistic manner. Farming enterprises include crops,
dairying, poultry, fishery, sericulture, and piggery, apiary tree crops 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, such that the end-products and wastes of one enterprise are utilized

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effectively as inputs in other enterprise. For example the wastes of dairying viz., dung, urine,
refuse etc. are used in preparation of FYM or compost which serves as an input in cropping
system. Likewise the straw obtained from crops (maize, rice, sorghum etc.) is used as a fodder
for dairy cattle.

Further, in sericulture the leaves of mulberry crop is used as a feeding material for silkworms,
grain from maize crop are used as a feed in poultry 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 on one hand and attempt to meet the national goals on the other. The
concept has an undefined time dimension. The magnitude of time dimension depends upon
ones objectives, being shorter for economic gains and longer for concerns pertaining to
environment, soil productivity and land degradation.

u Principles of farming system

o Minimization of risk
o Recycling of wastes and residues
o Integration of two or more enterprises
o Optimum utilization of all resources
o Maximum productivity and profitability
o Ecological balance
o Generation of employment potential
o Increased input use efficiency
o Use of end products from one enterprise as input in other enterprise
u Characteristics of farming system
o Farmer oriented & holistic approach
o Effective farmers participation
o Unique problem solving system
o Dynamic system

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o Gender sensitive
o Responsible to society
o Environmental sustainability
o Location specificity of technology
o Diversified farming enterprises to avoid risks due to environmental constraints
o Provides feedback from farmers

u Objectives of farming system

Productivity- Farming system provides on opportunity to increase economic yield per unit area
per unit time by virtue of intensification of crop and allied enterprises. Time concept by crop
intensification and space concept by building up of vertical dimension through crops and allied
enterprises.

Profitability - The system as a whole provides an opportunity to make use of produce/waste

material of one enterprise as an input in another enterprise at low/no cost. Thus by reducing
the cost of production the profitability and benefit cost ratio works out to be high.

Potentiality – Soil health, a key factor for sustainability is getting deteriorated and polluted due
to faulty agricultural management practices viz., excessive use of inorganic fertilizers,
pesticides, herbicides, high intensity irrigation etc. In farming system, organic supplementation
through effective use of manures and waste recycling is done, thus providing an opportunity to
sustain potentiality of Production base for much longer time.

Balanced food- In farming system, diverse enterprises are involved and they produce different
sources of nutrition namely proteins, carbohydrates, fats &minerals etc. form the same unit
land, which helps in solving the malnutrition problem prevalent among the marginal and sub-
marginal farming households.

Environmental safety- The very nature of farming system is to make use or conserve the
byproduct/waste product of one component as input in another component and use of bio-
control measures for pest & disease control. These eco-friendly practices bring down the

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application of huge quantities of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, which pollute the soil
water and environment to an alarming level. Whereas IFS will greatly reduce environmental
pollution.

Income/cash flow round the year- Unlike conventional single enterprise crop activity where
the income is expected only at the time of disposal of economic produce after several months
depending upon the duration of the crop, the IFS enables cash flow round the year by way of
sale of products from different enterprises viz., eggs from poultry, milk from dairy, fish from
fisheries, silkworm cocoons from sericulture, honey from apiculture etc. This not only enhances
the purchasing power of the farmer but also provides an opportunity to invest in improved
technologies for enhanced production.

Saving energy- Availability of fossil fuel has been declining at a rapid rate leading to a situation
wherein the whole world may suffer for want of fossil fuel by 2030 AD. In farming system,
effective recycling of organic wastes to generate energy from biogas plants can mitigate to
certain extent this energy crisis.

Meeting fodder crises- In IFS every inch of land area is effectively utilized. Alley cropping or
growing fodder legume along the border or water courses, intensification of cropping including
fodder legumes in cropping systems helps to produce the required fodder and greatly relieve
the problem of non – availability of fodder to livestock component of the Farming system.

Employment generation- Various farm enterprises viz., crop +livestock or any other allied
enterprise in the farming system would increase labour requirement significantly and would
help solve the problem of under employment. An IFS provides enough scope to employ family
labour round the year.

Scope for establishment of agro- industries- When once the produce from different
components in IFS is increased to a commercial level there will be surplus for value addition in
the region leading to the establishment of agro-industries.

Enhancement in input use efficiency – An IFS provides good scope for resource utilization in
different components leading to greater input use efficiency and benefit- cost ratio.

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u ORGANIC FARMING

Organic farming “is a production system which avoids or largely excludes the use of
synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, and livestock feed
additives. To the maximum extent feasible, organic agriculture systems rely upon crop
rotations, crop residues, animal manure, legumes, green manure, off-farm organic wastes,
mechanical cultivation, mineral bearing rocks, and aspects of biological pest control to maintain
soil productivity, tilt, to supply plant nutrients, and to control insects, weeds, and other pests”.

The concept of the soil as a living system which must be “fed” in a way that does not restrict
the activities of beneficial organisms necessary for recycling nutrients and producing humus is
central to this definition.

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“Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances
agro-ecosystem health, including bio-diversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It
emphasizes the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking
into account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems. This is accomplished by
using wherever possible, agronomic, biological, and mechanical methods, as opposed to using
synthetic materials, to fulfil any specific function within the system”

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ORGANIC FARMING IN THE WORLD:

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u Principles of organic farming

1. To produce food of high nutritional quality in sufficient quantity
2. To interact in a constructive and life enhancing way with all natural systems and cycles
3. To encourage biological cycles within the farming system, involving micro-organisms,
soil flora and fauna, plants and animals and careful mechanical intervention
4. To maintain and increase long-term fertility of soils
5. To promote the healthy use and proper care of water, water resources and all life
therein
6. To help in the conservation of soil and water
7. To use, as far as is possible, renewable resources in locally organized agricultural
systems
8. To work, as far as possible, within a closed system with regard to organic matter and
nutrient elements
9. To work, as far as possible, with materials and substances which can be reused or
recycled, either on the farm or elsewhere
10. To give all livestock conditions of life which allow them to perform the basic aspects of
their innate behavior
11. To maintain all forms of pollution that may result from agricultural practices
12. .To maintain the genetic diversity of the production system and its surroundings
including the protection of wild life habitats
13. To allow everyone involved in organic production and processing a quality of life
confirming to the UN Human Rights Charter, to cover their basic needs and obtain an
adequate return and satisfaction from their work, including a safe working environment
14. To consider the wider social and ecological impact of the farming system
15. To produce non-food products from renewable resources, which are fully degradable
16. Weed, disease and pest control relaying primarily on crop rotation, natural predators,
diversity, organic maturing, resistant varieties, and limited (preferably minimal) thermal,
biological and chemical intervention
17. To create harmonious balance between crop production and animal husbandry

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18. To encourage organic agriculture associations to function along democratic lines and the
principle of division of powers
19. To progress towards an entire production, processing and distribution chain which is
both socially just and ecologically responsible

u Relevance of organic farming

Interest in organic agricultural methods is growing, especially in areas where the present
modern farming system has unleashed many agro-ecological and environmental problems both
on and off the farm, which threaten food security. The following are some examples:

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a) Degradation of soil quality (structured & fertility)

b) Pollution of soil, water and food with pesticides and nitrates
c) Health effects on farmers, farm workers, farm families, rural communities (apart
from concerns about the non-intended effects of pesticides on human beings in
general, sound use of pesticides requires a technical knowledge which is often
lacking in developing countries)
d) Resistance of pests to pesticides
e) Dependence on off-farm agricultural inputs which can increase poor farmers’
dependence on credit facilities (to purchase synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and
seed), which may result in decreased local food security and self-reliance

Further consumer awareness of the environmental costs of agriculture is increasing. The

awareness of environmental quality and health is often promoted by environmental groups,
especially in developed countries. The resulting demand for organic products creates the
opportunity to sell organic products at premium prices, enabling organic farmers to continue,
and often expand. Some governments have begun to recognize the possibility that it may be
cheaper to support organic agriculture than to rectify problems associated with certain
resource- destruction production practices. For this reason, several governments have
introduced subsidies for organic agriculture. For example, in Indonesia where, after a period of
subsidies on pesticides, the use of this input was prohibited while efforts were put in IPM
programmes. In China, pesticide problems in products both on the domestic and export market
has resulted in government involvement in certification organizations for “green food”,
including also a small amount of organic produce. Both these policies facilitate a shift towards
organic agriculture

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u Components of organic farming

Thus, organic agriculture is comparatively free from the complex problems identified with
modern agriculture. It is basically a farming system, devoid of chemical inputs, in which The
biological potential of the soil and the underground water resources are conserved and
protected from the natural and human induced degradation or depletion by adopting suitable
cropping models including agroforestry and methods of organic replenishment, besides natural
and biological means of pest and disease management, by which both the soil life and
beneficial interactions are also stimulated and sustained so that the system achieves self-
regulation and stability as well as capacity to produce agricultural outputs at levels which are
profitable, enduring over time and consistent with the carrying capacity of the managed agro-
ecosystem.

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Crop production and health in organic farming systems is attained through a combination of
structural factors and tactical management components to ensure products of sufficient quality
and quantity for human and livestock consumption.

1. Diverse crop rotations

2. Soil fertility management
3. Weed control
4. Natural pest and disease control
5. Integrated nutrient management
▪ Bulky organic manures
▪ Recycling of organic wastes
▪ Bio-fertilizers
▪ Green manuring

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