Refinement of conventional integrated farming system model with natural farming

Abstract

An experiment was carried out in rabi and kharif seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21 to evaluate newlinethe productivity and profitability of integrated farming system under conventional and natural newlinefarming in mid-hill conditions of Himachal Pradesh at 1 hectare AICRP-IFS on station newlineresearch farm (Bhadiarkhar) of Department of Agronomy, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi newlineVishvavidyalaya, Palampur. The objective of the study was to refine existing integrated newlinefarming system model with natural farming and to identify and optimize component linkages newlinefor profit maximization. Components under study were field crops (CS), vegetable crops, newlinelivestock, poultry and mushroom. Farm area between different components was allocated as, newline0.65 ha to field crops (4875 m2 newlineunder conventional farming, 1625 m2 newlineunder natural farming), newline0.175 ha to vegetable crops (1050 m2 newlineunder conventional farming, 350 m2 newlineunder natural newlinefarming), 0.10 ha to fodder crops (750 m2 newlineunder conventional farming, 250 m2 newlineunder natural newlinefarming)and 0.075 for livestock, poultry, mushroom and other enterprises (manure pit, newlinevermicompost unit and fodder chopping unit). Comparisons were made on the basis of newlineproduction and economic benefits of different enterprises. Results revealed that among field newlinecrops, maize + soybean- gobhisarson and soybean wheat cropping systems performed newlinebetter under conventional and natural farming, respectively. Among vegetable-based cropping newlinesystems, okra-radish-garlic and okra+ soybean-pea remained economically efficient newlineunder conventional and natural farming, respectively. Among different farming systems, newlineintegration of CS + Vegetable + Dairy+ Mushroom+ Poultry resulted in highest net returns newlineunder conventional farming; whereas under natural farming, combination of CS + Vegetable newline+ Mushroom + Poultry resulted in highest net returns under existing farm plan. Optimization newlineof farming system was done using linear programming. With optimal resource allocation it newlinewas predicted that under conventional integrated farming system, maximum r