Cheekati Pragathi Kumari

Food grain production has multiplied over the last two decades in India, but natural resources are overexploited in modern farming. Farmers, especially those with small and marginal holdings, are suffering losses more often than not, the cost of production is increasing year after year, and profits are not up to the necessary levels. To address such challenges, there has been a broad recognition of the importance of employing farming system approaches in research. The cultivation of cropping systems with orchard crops and livestock components can play a significant role in the optimal utilization of resources, enhancing energy use efficiency as well as the eco-efficiency index, and reducing carbon footprints. This study was carried out to create a suitable IFS model with high economic and energy efficiency for small-holder farmers in India’s southern plateau and hills with a negligible impact on the environment. The following were the seven models: M₁: Rice − Groundnut; M₂: Rice − Groundnut, Pigeonpea + Sweetcorn (1:3) − Bajra, Bt cotton + Greengram (1:2) − Maize; M₃: Rice − Groundnut, Pigeonpea + Sweetcorn (1:3) − Bajra, Pigeonpea + Maize (1:3) − Sunhemp; Napier grass, Sheep (5 + 1); M₄: Rice − Groundnut, Pigeonpea + Sweetcorn (1:3) − Bajra, Bt cotton + Greengram (1:2) − Maize, Pigeonpea + Maize (1:3) − Sunhemp, Poultry unit; M₅: Guava, Hedge Lucerne, Napier grass, Bt cotton + Greengram (1:2) − Maize, Sheep (5 + 1); M₆: Guava, Bt cotton + Greengram (1:2) − Maize, Rice − Groundnut, Poultry; M₇: Rice − Groundnut, Pigeonpea + Sweetcorn (1:3) − Bajra, Pigeonpea + Maize (1:3) − Sunhemp; Napier grass, Hedge lucerne, Poultry (100), Sheep (5 + 1). Model M₁ was used to represent the local region, and the other models were compared in terms of economics, energetics, greenhouse gas emissions, and employment creation. The M₇ and M₃ models, according to the results, have higher economic efficiency (₹342.3 day⁻¹, ₹263.7 day⁻¹), increase output energy (228,529 and 183,231 MJ) net energy (258,184 and 198,920 MJ), produce net negative emissions (−2842 and −2399 kg CO₂ eq.), and create jobs year-round (112.5 and 110.5 man days year⁻¹), respectively. This is primarily because they have multiple highly efficient components that make them viable for Telangana’s small and marginal farmers.

Field experiments were conducted during rainy (kharif) season, 2015 and 2016 to assess the impact of land configurations and nutrient management on Bt cotton (Gossypium herbaceum L.) at College Farm, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, Professor JayashankarTelangana State Agricultural University, Hyderabad, Telangana. Treatments consisted of four land configurations, viz. flat bed sowing, ridge and furrow, broad bed and furrow (BBF) and BBF laid with poly mulch as main plots and five nutrient management treatments in sub plots, viz. farmer’s practice, 100% RDF-150:60:60 NPK kg/ha, 125% RDF, 100% RDF along with 25% N through farmyard manure and 100% RDF along with 25% N through pressmud laid out in triplicated strip plot design. Results revealed that yield attributes (bolls per plant and boll weight), seed cotton yield and field water use efficiency were significantly higher with BBF with poly mulch along with application of 100% RDF + 25% RDN through organics (pressmud or FYM) comparable to BBF laid with poly mulch and application of 125% RDF through inorganics. Soil moisture extraction by crop was higher from 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm depth in poly mulch + BBF over other land configurations.

A field experiment was conducted for two years (2017-2019) at the College Farm, AICRP on Integrated Farming Systems unit, PJTSAU, Hyderabad (India) to identify the profitable cropping system module for different integrated farming systems under irrigated situation in sandy loam soils of Southern Telangana zone, Telangana (India). Among the ten cropping systems evaluated, sweet corn-vegetable (tomato) system was found more remunerative with B:C ratio 3.54, followed by okra-marigold-beetroot system with B:C ratio of 2.92. Among the ecological cropping systems for improving the soil health, Bt cotton + green gram (1:3)-groundnut cropping system gave significantly higher rice grain equivalent yield (13,687 kg ha^-1), however the net returns were high (₹ 1,37,259 ha^-1) in pigeon pea + green gram (1:7)-sesame cropping system. Out of the two systems tested to meet the household nutritional security, pigeon pea + maize (1:3)-groundnut system gave higher rice grain equivalent yield (13,772 kg ha^-1) with higher net returns (? 1,35,959 ha^-1). Within the two fodder crops/cropping systems, fodder maize-lucerne system showed higher B:C ratio (1.64). Fodder systems were more exhaustive than all other cropping systems. However, within two years of experimentation the changes in physicochemical properties and soil fertility status were not significantly affected.

The present study was undertaken in the ongoing long-term experiment initiated during 2017 at experimental farm, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. Soil samples collected from a depth of 0–15 cm was analysed for soil fertility parameters namely: available N, P and K. The results indicated that the different cropping systems had positive influence on improving the nutrient status (i.e., available N, P and K) significantly over the initial soil values (N: 112.20, P: 23.40 and K: 170.30 kg ha^-1, respectively). These ten cropping systems were grouped in to five categories viz., pre-dominant cropping systems of the zone, ecological cropping systems, household nutritional security giving cropping systems, fodder security giving cropping systems and cropping systems involving high value crops. So that from each category, best cropping system can be identified and can be suggested to different integrated farming systems models. The maximum (221.60 and 221.57 kg ha^-1) soil available nitrogen was obtained in Pigeon pea + Greengram (1:3) – Sesame after harvest of kharif and rabi, available phosphorus builds up was profound in Fodder maize – Lucerne (48.27 kg ha^-1) and available K (207.63 kg ha^-1) was higher in Rice –Maize cropping system after harvest. Fodder crops recorded significantly higher NPK uptake over other cropping systems.

A long-term field experiment was undertaken during the year 2019-20 (third year of the experiment) at college farm, AICRP on Integrated Farming Systems unit, PJTSAU, Hyderabad to evaluate productivity and profitability of cropping systems for different farming systems under irrigated situation on a sandy loam soil of Southern Telangana Zone (STZ), Telangana. Among the ten cropping systems evaluated, sweet corn – vegetable system (tomato) was found to be more remunerative with B:C ratio 3.30 followed by okra – marigold – beetroot system with B:C ratio 3.0. Among the ecological cropping systems for improving soil health, pigeonpea + greengram (1:7) – sesame cropping system recorded higher BC ratio (2.02) compared to Bt cotton + green gram (1:3) – groundnut cropping system (1.78). Out of the two systems evaluated to meet the household nutritional security, pigeon pea + groundnut (1:7) – fingermillet system recorded higher BC ratio (1.85) compared to pigeon pea + maize (1:3) – groundnut. Within the two fodder crops/cropping systems, fodder maize – lucerne system resulted in higher B:C ratio (1.65).