Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
4.10.11 INCREASING WATER PRODUCTIVITY BY MULTIPLE
USE OF WATER
The Multiple uses of water, that is, using the available water sources for
more than one uses percentage production system is inevitable to produce
more with less water. Multiple use systems, operated for domestic use,
crop production, aquaculture, agroforestry and livestock, can improve wa-
ter productivity and reduce poverty. Under plateau conditions of eastern
India, a model has been developed at Ranchi with plastic lined rainwater
harvesting pond with litchi based multitier horticultural system planted
in the command area (irrigated through gravity fed drip system from the
pond) of the pond and production of fish in the pond and vegetables on the
bunds measuring 3.0 m width around the ponds, supplementary irrigation
to cereal production on a limited area of 50 ยด 25 m (0.125 ha) with sur-
plus runoff storage during monsoon season. An analysis of climatic data
indicated that after initial irrigation for plant establishment to 60 plants
of litchi, 180 plants of guava up to end of June, enough water will be
available for vegetable cultivation on about 1000 m 2 for two season (No-
vember-March and March-May). About 46.9% of water from 1.8 m deep
pond will go as surface evaporation losses. Alternatively, the vegetables
for the two seasons can be grown on 1500 m 2 without irrigation to any
plant of fruit trees.
4.10.12 ADOPTION OF INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEM
APPROACH FOR IMPROVING SUSTAINABILITY
Traditionally, Indian farmers adopted integrated farming system approach
for their livelihood. With industrialization, farmers were forced to become
commodity farmers depending on their location, in the catchment of agri-
based industry like sugar factory, ginning mill, soya processing plant, rice
mill, oil mill, dal mill, etc. Though, agro-climatic conditions are primar-
ily responsible for the existence of particular crops and cropping pattern,
industrialization, commercialization and mechanization have also played
a major role in farmers decision making for growing particular crop or
adopting a particular farming system. Integrated approach, however, had
several distinct advantages as mentioned below:
1.
Security against complete failure of a system.
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