TOPIC
10
FARMING SYSTEMS
OVERVIEW
“Farming System” is a set of agricultural activities organized while preserving
land productivity, environmental quality and maintaining desirable level of biological
diversity and ecological stability. The emphasis is more on a system rather than on
gross output.
It is also a resource management strategy to achieve economic and sustain
agricultural production to meet diverse requirement of the farm household while
preserving the source base and maintaining high environmental quality. The farming
system in its real sense will help the following ways to lift the economy of Indian
agriculture and standard of living of the farmers.
Objectives
At the end of this session, you are expected to:
1. Define farming system
2. Determine the Effects of Modern Agriculture to the Environment and Health
3. Enumerate the different cropping systems.
10. Farming Systems
Farming system is defined as a population of individual farm systems that
have broadly similar resource bases, enterprise patterns, household livelihoods and
constraints, and for which similar development strategies and interventions would be
appropriate. Depending on the scale of the analysis, a farming system can encompass
a few dozen or many millions of households.(Food and Agriculture Organization,
FAO).
Effects of Modern Agriculture to Environment and Human
Health
1. Effects on Soils
a. Destruction of beneficial organism
b. Making certain plants more vulnirable to diseases and
pest infestation.
c. Deterioration of soil friability ot tilt, causing compaction
and creating hardpans or claypans in the soil.
2. Effects on Water
a. Water Pollution- it is the contamination of a stream, river,
lake, ocean or any other stretch of water, depleting water
quality and making it toxic for the environment and humans.
b. Eutrophication- the gradual increase in the concentration
of phosphorus, nitrogen, and other plant nutrients in an
Image source - https://bit.ly/2Q6OsLO
aging aquatic ecosystem such as a lake. The productivity
or fertility of such an ecosystem naturally increases as the
amount of organic material that can be broken down into
nutrients increases.
c. Red Tide- is a phenomenon caused by algal Eutrophication of the Potomac River evident
from the bright green water, caused by a dense
bloom of cyanobacteria
blooms during which algae become so numerous that
they discolor coastal waters (hence the name "red tide").
The algal bloom may also deplete oxygen in the waters
and/or release toxins that may cause illness in humans
and other animals. (Wikipedia definition).
The water in Penn Cove (Coupeville, WA)
turned orange on 5/8/04 due to a "red
d. Contamination of drinking water- any physical, chemical, tide." Photo courtesy of Mary Jo Adams
(copyright 2004).
biological, or radiological substance or matter in water.
Some drinking water contaminants may be harmful if
consumed at certain levels in drinking water while others
may be harmless.
3. Effects on Air Water whose color is altered due to contamination
Contributions of Gases to Greenhouse Effect- greenhouse
effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface. When the
Sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is
reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by
greenhouse gases. Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas),
agriculture and land clearing – are increasing the concentrations of greenhouse
gases.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) -50 % from coal,oil and gas
Methane-18%
Nitrous oxide-6%
4. Efffects on Health
Cardiovascular Effects
Heart disease
- Hardening of blood vessels causing high blood pressure
Gastrointestinal tract effects
- Irrigation of gastrointestinal lining causing vomiting,
- Diarrhea and mouth ulcer
Alternative Strategy: SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE-An Option or A Necessity for -
Third World Countries.
Sustainable Agriculture is the appropriate use of the land and other resources in the
rural areas and the method of raising productivity without adverse effects on the
environment.
FARMING SYSTEMS: A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE
Farming systems responds to the concepts of sustainable agriculture because
it utilizes ways and means of efficient management of resources such as the farm and
its environment to produce more to satisfy family needs and goals.
Farm- an organized decision-making unit in which crop and livestock production is
carried out with the purpose of satisfying the farmer’s goal.
Farming-an activity carried out by households on holdings that represent
management units organized for the economic production of crops and livestock.
System- an assemblage of objects and activities united by some form of regular
interaction of interdependence.
Farming Systems- is the mix of farming enterprise to which a farm family allocates
its resources, to efficiently utilize the existing environment for the attainment of family’s
goals.
Farming systems development approach viewed the whole subject “farm” as a
system while equality focusing on the interdependence of every component as each
of these interact with the environmental factors of influencing the farming terms of
production methods and outputs.
Farming system takes into account the combination needs of the family the
economic factors like relative productivity of the technically feasible enterprises,
availability off farm resources, infranstructure and institution such as irrigation,
marketing facilities including storage and transportation and credit besides the agro
bilogical consideration namely interdependence, if any among various technically
feasible enterprises and performance of individual farmers.
Farming is defined as the way in which the farm resources arte allocated to the
needs and priorites of the farmers in his local circumstances which include;
1. Agro climatic condition such as the quality, distribution and reality of rainfall.
Soil tyoe and topography temperature etc. and
2. Economic and institutional circumstances like market opportunities, prices,
institutional and insfractructure facilities and technology.
Farming system consist of several enterprises like cropping system, dairying
piggery, poultry, fishery, beekeeping etc.., these enterprises are interrelated. The end
product and wastes of one enterprise and used as inputs in others. The waste of
dairying like dung, urine, refuse etc is used for preparation of FYM, which in an input
in cropping systems. The straw obtained from the crops is used as fooder for cattle’s
are used for different field operations for growing crops. Thus different enterprises of
farming systems are highly interrelated.
Farming system is a complex inter related matrix of soil plants, animals,
implements, power labour, capital and other inputs controlled in parts by farming
families and influenced to varying degree by political, economic, institutional and social
forces that operates at any levels. Thus farming system is the result of a complex
interaction among a number of interdependent components. To achieve it, the
individual farmer allocates and qualities of four factors of production. Land, labour,
capital and management, which has access to processes like management which has
crop, livestock and off farm enterprises in a manner, which within the knowledge he
possess will maximize the attainment of goal he is strivig for.
Farming system approach introduces a chance in farming technique for high
production from a farm as a whole with the integration of all enterprises. The farm
produce other than the economic products for which the crop in grown can be better
utilized for productive purposes in the farming system approach. A judicious mix of
cropping system with associated enterprises like dairy, poultry, poultry, piggery,
fishery, sericulture etc. suited to the given agro-climatic conditions and socio economic
status of farmers would bring prosperity ro the farmer.
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Activity 10.1
Reaction paper: Issues on Modern Agriculture
Guide Question
1. What are the effects of Modern Agriculture?
a. Soil
b. Water
c. Air
d. Health
CROPPING SYSTEMS
1. Monoculture- Repetitve growing of the same crop on the same land.
Monocropping is the agricltural pratice of growing a single crop year after year
on the same land, in the absence of rotation through other crops or growing
multiple crops on the same land (polyculture). Corn, soybeans, and wheat are
three common crops often grown using monocroping techniques.
2. Multi-storey cropping- A system where the crop components develop their
canopies at different strata; crop components should have varying nutritional
and evironmental requirements and morphological and physiological features;
each crop component must be fertilized.
3. Diversified farming- A diversified farm is one that has several production
enterprises or sources of income but no source of income as much as 50% of
the total income form the source on such farm farmers depends on several
sources of incomes. It is also called as general farming.
Advantages:
a. Better use of land, labor, and capital: Better area land through adoption of
crop rotations, steady employment of farm and family labor and more
profitable use of equipment are obtained in diversified farming.
b. The farmer are labor engaged all the year round in different activities.
c. Less risk to crop failure and market price of the product.
d. The by products of this farm can utilize properly as cattle, poultry,birds, etc.
are reared with crop production.
e. Regular and quicker return is obtained from various entreprises.
f. Soil erosion can be checked as land kept under cultivated througout the
year.
g. Soil fertility can be checked as land kept under cultivated throughout the
year.
h. Diversified farming is less risky than specialized farming.
i. Best use of all equipments.
Disadvantages:
a. Do not fetch desirable profit so long as co-operative marketing facility is not
there.
b. Proper inspection of different enterprises is difficult.
c. It is not possible to farmer to maintain all types of machinery required for
different crops.
d. The wastage of the farm in any farm is difficult to detect.
4. Low external input farming
Low External Input Agriculture (LEIA) is important for the sustainable agriculture
design. LEIA means maximum utilization of the local resource with less
dependency on external input for agricultural production. LEIA is one of the
integration form of local resource use in LEIA may resulty in over exploitation
of natural resouce, with adverse ecological and farming system effects and
impacts or marginality and poverty. LEIA can be lead to Low External Input and
Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA). LEISA defination is a form of agriculture that
optimize local resource utilization, including social and human resources, but
the used of external inputs are not excluded and seen as complementary to the
use of local resource. For the revolution from LEIA to LEISA, there must be an
analysis of system level of hill farming.
5. Integrated Farming (IF)- is a whole farm management system which aims to
deliver more sustainable agriculture. It is a dynamic appproach which can be
applied to any farming system around the world. It involves attention to detail
and continuous improvement in all areas of the farming business through
informed management processess. Integrated Farming combines the best of
modern tools and technologies with traditional practices according to a given
site and situation. In simple words, it means using many ways of cultivation in
a small space or land.
6. Diversified farming- the practice of producing a variety of crops or animals or
both, on one farm, as distinguished from specializing in a single commodity.
Activity 10.2
Quiz on Farming System and Cropping Systems
Direction: Identify which Cropping Systems is describe in the questions
below. Write your answers in the blanks provided
Monoculture Muti-storey cropping Integrated Farming
Diversified Farming Farming System Farm
System Sustainable Agriculture
Low external input farming Farming
______________1. defined as a population of individual farm systems that
have broadly similar resource bases, enterprise patterns, household
livelihoods and constraints, and for which similar development strategies
and interventions would be appropriate.
_________________2.It is a dynamic appproach which can be applied to any
farming system around the world. It involves attention to detail and
continuous improvement in all areas of the farming business through
informed management processess.
_______________3. it is the maximum utilization of the local resource with
less dependency on external input for agricultural production. LEIA is one of
the integration form of local resource use in LEIA may resulty in over
exploitation of natural resouce, with adverse ecological and farming system
effects and impacts or marginality and poverty.
_______________4. is one that has several production enterprises or
sources of income but no source of income as much as 50% of the total
income form the source on such farm farmers depends on several sources
of incomes. It is also called as general farming.
_______________5. A system where the crop components develop their
canopies at different strata; crop components should have varying nutritional
and evironmental requirements and morphological and physiological
features; each crop component must be fertilized.
________________6. Repetitve growing of the same crop on the same land.
Monocropping is the agricltural pratice of growing a single crop year after
year on the same land, in the absence of rotation through other crops or
growing multiple crops on the same land (polyculture).
________________7.It is an organized decision-making unit in which crop
and livestock production is carried out with the purpose of satisfying the
farmer’s goal.
________________8. An assemblage of objects and activities united by
some form of regular interaction of interdependence.
_______________9. Is an activity carried out by households on holdings that
represent management units organized for the economic production of crops
and livestock.
________________10. is the appropriate use of the land and other resources
in the rural areas and the method of raising productivity without adverse
effects on the environment.
References
OSEA, J.A. Compilation of Lectures in Crop Science 2. Practices in Crop
Production
http://www.fao.org/farmingsystems/description_en.htm#:~:text=A%20farming%20
system%20is%20defined,and%20interventions%20would%20be%20appropriate.
https://www.google.com/search?q=agriculture&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=M5
gAf4b80VJlSM%252C8qqTWzP9Wo8JgM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kRxed6pixG-gcF-
fUUZsyeJctTcgQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi3rr-
678ztAhXHDaYKHbKdBkwQ_h16BAg4EAE#imgrc=KlDZlcfe5i3TNM
