Integrated Farming Systems

Subject – Agriculture

Context – Integrated farming systems emerge as possible climate adaptation solution

Concept –

Integrated Farming System (IFS):- A sub system of a high level land use system like a village or a watershed which includes crop production, raising livestock, fishery, poultry, beekeeping etc. on a particular farm with a objective of higher profitability without altering ecological and socio-economic balance on one hand and to meet the national goals on the other hand.

Components Of Integrated Farming System

Crops, livestock, birds and trees are the major components of any IFS.
Crop may have subsystem like monocrop, mixed/intercrop, multi-tier crops of cereals, legumes (pulses), oilseeds, forage etc.
Livestock components may be milch cow, goat, sheep, poultry, bees.
Tree components may include timer, fuel, fodder and fruit trees.

Advantages of Integrated Farming System

Higher food production to equate the demand of the exploding population of our nation
Increased farm income through proper residue recycling and allied components
Sustainable soil fertility and productivity through organic waste recycling
Integration of allied activities will result in the availability of nutritious food enriched with protein, carbohydrate, fat, minerals and vitamins
Integrated farming will help in environmental protection through effective recycling of waste from animal activities like piggery, poultry and pigeon rearing
Reduced production cost of components through input recycling from the byproducts of allied enterprises
Regular stable income through the products like egg, milk, mushroom, vegetables, honey and silkworm cocoons from the linked activities in integrated farming
Inclusion of biogas & agro forestry in integrated farming system will solve the prognosticated energy crisis
Cultivation of fodder crops as inter cropping and as border cropping will result in the availability of adequate nutritious fodder for animal components like milch cow, goat / sheep, pig and rabbit
Firewood and construction wood requirements could be met from the agro forestry system without affecting the natural forest
Avoidance of soil loss through erosion by agro-forestry and proper cultivation of each part of land by integrated farming
Generation of regular employment for the farm family members of small and marginal farmers.