Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture

Farming system: definition, Integrated Farming System (IFS) concept, objectives and advantages

Sustainable agriculture can be defined as the form of agriculture aimed at meeting the food and fuel
needs of the present generation without endangering the resource base for the future generations . It is
an efficient management system of renewable resources including the soil, forests, crops, fish, livestock,
biodiversity and ecosystems without degradation to provide adequate food and other needs of the
present and future generations.

or

“FAO defined sustainable agricultural and rural development to mean the management and
conservation of the natural resource base and the orientation of technological institutional change in
such a manner to ensure the attainment and continued satisfaction of human needs for present and
future generation.” Such sustainable development (in Ag., forestry and fisheries sectors) conserve land,
water, plant and animal genetic resources, is environmentally non-degrading, is technically appropriate,
economically viable and socially acceptable.

Concept: The ultimate aim of sustainable agriculture is to develop farming systems that are productive
and profitable, conserve the natural resource base, protect the environment and enhance safety over
the long term. The concept of sustainability involves economic, environmental as well as social aspects.
A farming system using recommended levels of technical inputs may be economically sustainable at
present but if it contributes to pollution of any kind, it is not sustainable over a long period of time.

Objectives: Sustainable agriculture is a complex issue and it should aim at:

- Conserving the natural resources (soil, water and biodiversity).

- Environmental safety/ to protect the environment
- Economically viable farming practices for enhancing the productivity/means productive and
profitable.
- Social aspects/acceptability.
- Enhances health and safety over the long term.
- Maintaining the current human needs and for future generations with quality food.
- Technically appropriate.

Need of sustainable agriculture

A wide range of problems/threats creating a challenge to mankind all over the world mainly
environmental degradation or depletion of natural resource base. These resources like soil, water,
forest, marine etc. are essential for increased production of food, fiber, fuel etc. Hence, sustainable
agriculture development needed to protect natural resource base, environment and to meet needs
of growing population.

Traditional agriculture prior to green revolution-maintained:

 - Conservation of bio-diversity within the farming system (ex. Diverse rice germplasm).

- Diverse life forms within the agro-ecosystem ex. natural enemies.

- Less harm to productive quality of land through dependence on natural methods (low input and
low output).

Unsustainable impact of Green Revolution Technologies

Introduction of “Green revolution” started in 1966.

Green Revolution Technologies were:

1. Greater use of agrochemicals (ex. fertilizers and pesticides).

2. Adoption of nutrient responsive high yielding dwarf varieties (Compared with tall traditional
cultivars).

3. Greater exploitation of irrigation potential (overexploitation).

4. Traditional varieties gradually replaced.

Continuous use of these high energy inputs indiscriminately initially increased the
production/productivity but now stagnant/declining in many areas.

Important issues emerged

-Shrinking land resources.

-Stagnant productivity in many areas.

-Food security: To feed the growing population (which will be around 1.4 billion by 2025). Hence, to
produce more from shrinking resource base. Horizontal expansion is not possible.

- Depletion of natural resource base (over exploitation) by mankind since long back to meet their
basic requirements for ex. land (fertility) means adding less and mining more; ground water;
vegetation, ground cover, forests etc.

- Environmental degradation: Ecological balance is disturbed (ex. vulture population, beneficial

insects etc.), increasing threat to environment (ex. ground water pollution etc.).

- Soil degradation: loss of soil fertility, nutrient imbalance, deficiency of micronutrients (because of
limited use of organic manures) soil erosion, salinization, acidification, accumulation of heavy
metals etc.

- Prevalence of rural poverty: ex. slash and burn agriculture is practiced in forest areas by subsistence
farmers as a primary option for survival, even if they are aware of its destructive consequences. In
 subsistence economies, people are dependent on natural resources, rangelands, agricultural lands,
forests and fisheries for their basic requirements viz. food, fodder, fuel, biomass, housing etc.

- Issue of sustainability of agricultural production system: The ultimate goal of sustainable agriculture
is to conserve the natural resource base, protect the environment, and enhance the health and
safety over a longer period. This can be achieved by optimal use of production inputs in a way
which can provide acceptable levels of sustainable crop productivity and livestock production
resulting economically profitable return.

Farming System

Farming System is a resource management strategy to achieve economic and sustained agricultural
production to meet diverse requirements of farm livelihood while preserving resource base and
maintaining a high level of environment quality.

Or

Farming System represents an appropriate combination of farm enterprises viz. cropping systems,
horticulture, livestock, fisheries, forestry, poultry and the means available to the farmer to raise
them for profitability. It interacts adequately with environment without dislocating the ecological
and socio-economic balance on one hand and attempts to meet the national goal on the other. The
farming system in its real sense will help in different ways to lift the economy of agriculture and
standard of living of the farmers of the country as a whole.

Need of IFS

Average farm holding in India is declining and about 85% are small and marginal farmers. There is
no scope for increase in farm size. Only vertical expansion is possible by integrating appropriate
farming components requiring lesser space and time while ensuring periodic income to farmers.
Thus, IFS is of greater importance which offer proper management of farm resources, enhances
farm productivity and reduces environmental degradation to improve the quality of life for
resource poor’s and to maintain sustainability. Hence IFS is considered economically viable,
ecologically compatible, highly productive and sustainable farming system to meet the requirement
of the present and future needs.

- It would be possible to reach high level productivity with sustainability by using proportionately less
input through IFS.

-It helps in utilizing the waste of one component as input of another component.

-IFS provide better and effective recycling of wastes and residues.

-It is a judicious mix of one or more enterprises with cropping which provides additional source of
income to the farmers.

- The interaction between the components are complimentary with least competitiveness.
Integrated Farming System (IFS) Concept

IFS is not a new concept. Crops, animals and trees have been traditionally raised together on small
family farms. In modern times, these are raised separately. In modern technology, yields become
higher due to use of higher inputs (fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation etc.) but now failed to maintain the
increasing trend of production. In fact there are indications of decreasing production in such areas
where high external inputs have been used over longer period. Adoption of such practices has created
serious problems of salinity, water logging, soil erosion, air and water pollution and unsustainability.
Thus, there is need for re-orientation to develop suitable farming techniques for sustainable food
production. A sustainable farming system should produce enough to meet the demand and need of
society, profitable, conserve natural resource base (soil, water etc.), provide healthy and safe
environment in the long run.

- Activity is focused on a few selected, interdependent, interrelated and often interlinking production
system based on few crops, animals and related subsidiary enterprises.

- It introduces a change in the farming techniques for maximum production and optimum utilization of
resources.

- IFS include utilization of wastes and residues and are recycled in a better way for productive purposes.
It is possible to achieve the same productivity with less inputs on more sustainable basis.

- IFS reduces dependency on the market purchased inputs thus, makes the production system self-
supporting and sustainable.

- The various enterprises that could be included in the farming system are crops, dairy, poultry, goat
rearing, fishery, sericulture, agroforestry, horticulture, mushroom cultivation etc.

- IFS is a holistic approach and seems to be the only answer to the problem of increasing food demand,
income and to improve nutrition of the small and marginal farmers with limited resources.

Thus, farming system as a concept includes the components of soil, water, crops, livestock,
labor and other resources available with the farm family to manage agricultural and related activities.

Objectives

- To develop farm household system involving rural communities on a sustainable basis.

- To improve efficiency of farm production system.

- To increase the farm and family income.

- Welfare of farm families through satisfying their basic needs.

Importance/Advantages of IFS

Improvement in Productivity: Opportunity to increase productivity per unit area per unit time.
Improvement in profitability: Cost may be reduced due to better recycling of waste material and
decrease in the demand of certain inputs.

Year round income: In traditional system income is expected after a fixed duration of the crop but in IFS
farmer gets income year round due to various types of produces available example: milk, egg, fish etc.

Effective recycling: Waste/ product of one enterprise are utilized as input in other enterprise thus
reduces the risk of environmental pollution.

Sustainability and pollution free environment: This system reduces the need of chemical fertilizers and
pesticide etc. thus able to sustain the soil and environment.

Balanced food: IFS provides various products rich in protein, carbohydrate, fat, minerals and vitamins
etc. This will prevent the malnutrition and provide balanced diet to the farm family.

Employment Generation: IFS provides enough scope to employ family labor round the year since labor
requirement will be higher due to many enterprises. This may solve the problem of unemployment to
a great extent.

Improves living standard: Continuous income and employment to the farmers improves their living
standard and nutrition.

Scope for agri-business industries: IFS provides enough scope for development of agro-industries for
processing of byproducts.

Improvement in input efficiency: Better scope to use inputs effectively in different enterprises.

Solves energy/fodder/fuel/timber crisis: Organic wastes available can be utilized to generate biogas.
Growing of fodder crops is a recommended practice and trees improves availability of fuel wood and
timber.

Approaches for sustainable agriculture

A farm may be sustainable if it produces:

-Adequate quantity of quality food: Means an efficient farming system should produce adequate
food, nutrition rich and stable in production for long term/higher sustained production (means
sufficient, balanced and diversified food).

- Profitable (production system should be profitable and effective in poverty alleviation)

- Environmentally safe (minimizes pollution) and sustaining soil health.

-Sustainable farm minimizes their purchased inputs (fertilizer, pesticides etc.).

-Rely as much as possible on renewable resources of the farm itself and effective recycling.

-Emphasis on conservation of natural resources (land, water, vegetation etc.).

-Ultimate aim is to develop suitable farming system.

-Profits from a sustainable farm may be greater than a conventional/traditional farm.

Thus, sustainable agriculture does not mean a return to the old farming practices/methods but it
utilizes the suitable traditional techniques in combination with the modern technologies . Thus, we
can conclude that in sustainable agriculture emphasis is on maintaining the environment with
sustainable production and not on rules about what can or cannot be done.

A. Input management for sustainable agricultural systems

1. Integrated nutrient management (INM): Generally, involves a combination of inorganic, organic

and biofertilizers in such a proportion which may keep the soil productive without deteriorating soil
fertility. It includes use of FYM, compost, green manures, biofertilizers etc. along with the
inorganic/chemical fertilizers. The INM is a soil fertility sustaining practice and unless INM becomes a
common practice, this aspect needs continuous attention.

2. Integrated plant protection (pest, diseases and weeds): Techniques like IPM and IWM should be
used for sustainable production.

IPM: Pest management system which utilizes all the appropriate techniques to minimize the pest
population levels below those causing economic injury. Thus, a suitable combination of cultural,
biological, chemical and other methods should be used.

IWM: A weed management system that uses all suitable control methods to reduce weed population
and maintain them at levels below those causing economic injury.

3. Management of organic wastes: A huge quantity of animal and plant residues available has not
been properly utilized in the past because of our dependency on quick acting chemical fertilizers
which is also not adequate. A lot of crop residues (root, stem, leaves etc.) are either removed out of
field or burnt at the time of field preparation. Therefore, scientific management of organic wastes is
needed in an integrated approach. Ex. In areas where combine harvesters are used in crops like rice,
wheat etc. Huge quantity of straw is burnt for field cleaning for next crop. Such useful wastes need to
be saved through research on residue management.

B. Development of a suitable farming system: A farming system may include one or more than one
enterprise. Single enterprise like crop production subjected to high risk and uncertainty, irregular and
uncertain income and unemployment. Thus, proper solution is integrated farming system which is a
holistic approach. It includes integration of suitable farm enterprises like dairy, poultry, sheep or goat
rearing, piggery, fisheries, agroforestry, apiculture (bee keeping) etc. for optimum utilization of
resources, higher agricultural production and economic returns on sustainable basis without
polluting the environment.

C. Management of natural precipitation in rainfed areas: The average productivity of rainfed crops
can be easily increased by providing 1 or 2 lifesaving irrigations. During heavy rains much of water
lost through runoff. This runoff water can be easily harvested and stored in water storing structures
ex. water harvesting ponds. In areas where cereals like wheat and rice is not possible due to un
assured water supply, efforts should be done to substitute cereals with suitable pulse or oilseed
crops which are resistant to moisture stress and can utilize moisture from deeper layers due to their
tap root system.

About 60 % area is unirrigated and contributes approximately 45 % only in the food basket of India.
The strategy so far adopted for the management of rainfed areas are mainly use of short duration
varieties, intercropping, balanced use of fertilizers etc. Not much attention has been paid to the
management of natural precipitation.

D. Sustainable land use: Land is a renewable natural resource and in subsistence economies, people
are dependent on natural resources, rangelands, agricultural lands, forests etc. for food, fodder, fuel,
housing and other minor products which are their basic requirements. Pressure on land resources
will increase significantly in next few decades. To feed our increasing population we need to grow
more from the available land by intensifying the production. The rate of soil degradation has been
enhanced due to overuse. Soil degradation means soils lose their natural fertility for production of
food etc. (other regenerative material). Also, vegetation cover, surface water, ground water,
biological diversity is severely affected. Most widespread phenomenon is the loss of organic matter
and nutrients which are needed for biomass production as a result of improper soil management
combined with wind and water erosion. Salinization, acidification, accumulation of heavy metals etc.
damaging soil. Experts are warning that the effects of soil degradation may cause scarcity of land and
will create an alarming situation. Soil erosion is the major process responsible for soil degradation.
Thus, soil conservation measures and adoption of suitable agronomic practices may help in reducing
soil erosion for sustainable agriculture. ex. contour cultivation, strip cropping, use of organic
manures, bunding, agroforestry, watershed development etc.

E. Management of irrigation and sustainable utilization of water resources: Integrated approach

should be adopted to maintain ground water table, recharging, water conservation and harvesting,
conjunctive use of surface and ground water etc. farmers use more water and don’t have idea about
critical stages of crops. Thus, efficient use of irrigation water is required since soil degradation due to
salinity and water logging is a major problem.