Integrated multi-enterprise agricultural system for sustaining livelihood, energy use and resource recycling: a case study from semi-arid tropics of central India

Integrated farming system (IFS) has been the way of life of agrarian people in semi-arid tropics (SAT) of India and other developing countries. However, there has been losing links between crops and livestock in the recent past due to promotion of mono- or double-crop-based intensive agricultural production systems owing to compulsions of hunger and poverty. Such farming practices resulted in issues of sustainability and economic viability due to stagnant productivity, deteriorating soil health, risk of failure of mono-cropping, absence of by-product and resource recycling, etc. Therefore, a study was planned during 2014–2018 involving multiple enterprises like food crops, agroforestry (fruits + vegetables), forage, livestock and water harvesting-cum-fish production to enhance productivity, profitability, energy efficiency, resource recycling and soil health. The IFS model of one hectare size besides producing multiple products (grains, fruit, vegetable, fodder, milk, fish, etc.) also resulted in US$ 1671/year net return with a benefit cost ratio of 1.58 and generated 293 man-days/year employment as against US$ 1287 net return and 119 man-days in groundnut–wheat cropping system. Energy efficiency, net energy gain and energy profitability were observed higher in groundnut–wheat cropping system. However, the share of indirect energy (71%) and renewable energy (67%) was more in IFS making it more self-reliant and sustainable. The IFS approach ensured round the year supply of income and a farmer can get approximately 265 to 597 US$ every month while he gets income only twice a year by adopting double cropping. Further, nearly 10.22 tonnes of farm yard manure and 2.5 tonnes of farm compost were recycled under IFS that improved soil health as compared to the double cropping. The study concluded that the IFS approach is capable of producing multiple products, improving productivity, profitability, employment opportunities, soil health and sustaining livelihood in vulnerable ecologies like SAT of central India and other parts of the world.