Integrated Farming System And Organic Farming

Integration of two or more appropriate combination of enterprises like crop, dairy, piggery,
fishery, poultry, bee keeping etc., for each farm according to the availability of resources to sustain and satisfy the necessities of the farmer

Definition: A farming system is a collection of distinct functional units such as crop, livestock,
processing, investments and marketing activities which interact because of the joint use of inputs they receive from the environment which have the common objective of satisfying the farmers’ (decision makers) aims. The definition of the borders of the options depends on circumstances; often it includes not only the farm (economic enterprise) but also the household (farm – household system)”

Possible enterprises

Wetland based farming system

• Crop + Fish + Poultry/poultry/pigeon

• Crop + Fish + Mushroom

Gardenland based farming system

Crop + Dairy + Biogas
Crop + Dairy + Biogas + Sericulture
Crop + Dairy + Biogas + Mushroom + Sylvi-culture

Dry land based farming system

Crop + Goat + Agroforestry
Crop + Goat + Agroforestry + Horticulture

Benefits of IFS

Higher Productivity
Profitability
Sustainability
Balanced food
Recycling reduces pollution
Money round the year
Employment generation
Increase input efficiency
Standard of living of the farmer increased
Better utilisation of land, labour, time and resources

Organic farming: Organic farming is a production system where all kinds of agricultural products are produced organically, including grains, meat, dairy, eggs, fibers such as cotton, flowers and processed food products. Organic farming avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives.

Need & scope of organic farming

Increase in awareness and health consciousness
Global consumers are increasingly looking for organic food, which is considered safe, and
hazard free.
The global prices of organic food are more lucrative and remunerative.
The potential of organic farming is signified by the fact that the farm sector has abundant
organic nutrient resources like livestock, water, crop residue, aquatic weeds, forest litter,
urban, rural solid wastes and agro industries, bio-products.
India offers tremendous scope for organic farming as it has local market potential for organic
products

Advantages of organic farming

Nutrition – Improved soil health makes food dramatically superior in mineral content
Poison-free – Free of contamination with health harming chemicals like pesticides,
fungicides and herbicides.
Food tastes better
Food keeps longer – can be stored longer
Disease and pest resistance – because of healthy plants
Weed competitiveness – Healthier crops able to compete
Lower input costs – No costly chemicals used, nutrients are created in-situ (in the farm)
Drought resistance
More profitable – Due to greater food value of organic produce consumers are willing to pay premium prices

Disadvantages of organic farming

Productivity – Low productivity is often reported as the quantum nutrient used comparatively lower
Labour intensive – Cultivation requires more labour especially for weed control
Skill – requires considerable skill to farm organically Ex. Choice of alternatives for control
of pests
Lack of convenience in management compared to easier management like fertilizer
application in conventional methods

Synonyms of organic farming
Eco-farming
Biological farming
Bio-dynamic farming
Macrobiotic agriculture

Eco-farming

Farming in relation to ecosystem.
it has the potential for introducing mutually reinforcing ecological approaches to food
production.
It aims at the maintenance of soil chemically, biologically and physically the way nature
would do it left alone.
Soil would then take proper care of plants growing on it.
Feed the soil, not the plant is the watchword and slogan of ecological farming.

Biological farming

Farming in relation to biological diversity.

Biodynamic farming

Farming which is biologically organic and ecologically sound and sustainable farming.