The modern agriculture has raised several ecological issues, and put a question mark on the sustainability of various agricultural practices with high input use. Since resources on the earth are limited, there is a need to utilise these resources most judiciously and efficiently to harmonise ecology with prosperity. Now the prime focus of farmers, researchers and policymakers goes to sustainable development through the sustainable farming systems.
In this context, a subject on 'Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture' has been recommended by the ICAR for the students of agriculture & allied sciences. The present book is written as per the latest syllabus on the subject, which would be useful to the undergraduate students. This book will be helpful to the students preparing for various competitive examinations. The common people who observe farming and its development with an interest would also find it worth reading.
The Green Revolution started in the early 1960s that led to the attainment of selfsufficiency in food grain production, is considered as the greatest agricultural transformation in the history of humankind. However, its benefits have been poorly distributed and thus, hunger still persists in some parts of the world.
A ‘system’ is a set of interrelated, interacting and interdependent elements operating together for a common purpose and capable of reacting as a whole to external forces. It is unaffected directly by its own output and it has a specified external boundary based on the inclusion of all significant feedbacks. A ‘farm’ is a system because several activities are closely related to each other by the common use of the farm labour, land and capital, by risk distribution and by the joint use of the farmer’s management capacity.
In agriculture, crop production is the main activity. However, the income obtained from crops may hardly be sufficient to sustain the farm family throughout the year. Assured regular cash flow is possible when the crop is combined with other enterprises. These other enterprises or components are called allied components.
In agriculture, the ideal management practices were developed for individual crops through regular research and feedback received from the farmers. However, farmers are growing various crops in different seasons based on their adaptability to a particular season.
The objective of any cropping system is efficient utilisation of all resources such as land, water and solar radiation, maintaining stability in production and obtaining higher net returns. The efficiency is measured by the quantity of produce obtained per unit resource used in a given time.
The Green Revolution started in the early 1960s that led to the attainment of self-sufficiency in food grain production. This has been considered as the greatest agricultural transformation in the history of humankind. The Green Revolution contributed to widespread poverty reduction, averted hunger for millions of people, and avoided the conversion of thousands of hectares of land into agricultural cultivation.
Low external input agriculture developed as a response to the criticisms surrounding Green Revolution technology being neither sustainable nor feasible for many small-scale farmers around the world. The concept aimed to redesign the agricultural system by optimising the use of biological resources, keeping changes to the natural ecosystem as well as the use of external inputs at a minimum (Pimentel et al., 1989).
Conservation agriculture is an approach to managing agroecosystems for improved and sustained productivity, increased profits and food security while preserving and enhancing the resource base and the environment. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations defines conservation agriculture as a farming system that promotes maintenance of a permanent soil cover, minimum soil disturbance (i.e. no tillage), and diversification of plant species.
Integrated farming system is a multidisciplinary whole farm approach, which enables the farmers to identify opportunities and threats and act accordingly. It is a dynamic approach which can be applied to any farming system around the world. It is very effective in solving the problems of small and marginal farmers.
Annadurai, K., Palaniappan, S. P., Chinnusamy, C. and Jayanthi, C. 1994. Integrated farming system: need of the hour. Kisan World 21(9): 39. ASA. 1989. Decision reached on sustainable agriculture. Agronomy News January 1989. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. p. 15.
Additive intercropping 89 Aggressivity 120, 121 Agricultural waste management 162, 227
