Before start of the IFS project on, “Development of Integrated Farming System Model” at PDCSR, Modipuram, a multi disciplinary team of scientists and technicians of the Project Directorate conducted detailed survey to characterize the existing Farming Systems in Meerut district assuring as a most representative district of western plain zone of Uttar Pradesh.
Based on the information generated during the survey, the dominant farming system identified was crop + dairy representing 80 % house hold of small farm group. As the small and marginal farmers in general were resource poor and economically weak, more realistic additional enterprises in phases and not at a time were introduced & evaluated.
Further, to get maximum possible returns from different component enterprises with available farm resources of the small holders, low cost – cost effective and also environmentally safe technological modules were prepared in consultations of the experts of different disciplines. To get set objectives and wide adaptability among small farm holders, a piece of one and half hectare cultivated land with assured irrigation was taken during summer season of 2004.
The allocation of land resource for accommodating different enterprises was done as per needs of the family (Calculated for a family of 7 members as per standard given by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan 1998) and size/numbers of individual components of the system. Out of 1.5 hectare of area, 0.72 hectare was used for cultivation of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, potato, flowers and sugarcane. An area of 0.22 hectare was allotted for a multistoried unit of horticulture containing a mixed plantation of perennial fruits mango, guava, pear , citrus species and short duration fruit papaya as intercrop in between the rows of perennial fruits.
A number of short duration vegetables and fodder crops were also grown under the canopy cover of these fruit trees. This orchard unit was surrounded by live hedge plantation of bushy crop Carisa carendis (Karonda ) at a plant to plant distance of one meter. The third component diary was included in 2005 initially comprised of Murrah breed of buffaloes (two) + Sahiwal cow (one) and this unit was further strengthened by inclusion of one Holestein Friesian cow and one buffalo in subsequent years.
However, the extra animals were sold in subsequent years to keep the unit size as per norms. To ascertain supply of green fodders round the year, green fodders in an area of 0.32 hectare were rotated with other field crops in different crop sequences and not on separate land. Moreover other enterprises included in to the IFS were apiary (A unit of ten bee boxes) in 2004, fresh water fish production (pisciculture) in 2005 (a mix of rohu, katla, mirigal and grass carp & common carp etc.) in fish pond of 0.10 hectare, vermicomposting in 2006 (0.01 hectare) and goat unit with 15 female & 1 male goat animals in 2007.
The fruit species with less shade effect and of common use (Jamun, bel, jackfruit and seedless nimboo) were also planted all around the field boundaries of the IFS Model. All the cow dung, goat excreta, farm wastes and crop residues were properly recycled either by composting (FYM and vermicompost ) or directly incorporated in to the soil . Even the animal wash and urine was mixed directly in to the fish pond. In this way every product and by products including farm wastes and crop residues all were fully utilized and nothing allowed as waste.
To keep the farm environment clean and output of one enterprise / enterprises worked as input for other. To know the comparative performance of integrated approach over traditional farming and its impact on livelihood of a farming family, all the parameters of economics were taken in to account. The net saving was calculated after deducting total value of family consumption from the net returns. Cost of production includes all fixed and variable costs including inputs, labour, bank interests and land value.
