Integrated Farming System (IFS) for Sustainable Agriculture

Integrated farming system is a sustainable agricultural system
that integrates livestock, crop production, fish, poultry, tree
crops, plantation crops and other systems that benefit each
other.
• It is based on the concept that ‘there is no waste’ and ‘waste
is only a misplaced resource’ which means waste from one
component becomes an input for another part of the system.
• IFS approach is considered to be the most powerful tool for
enhancing profitability of farming systems especially for small
and marginal farmers to make them bountiful.
INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEM – An Introduction

At present, the farmers concentrate mainly on crop production which is subjected to a high degree of uncertainty in income and employment to the farmers. In this contest, it is imperative to evolve suitable strategy for augmenting the income of a farm.

Integration of various agricultural enterprises viz., cropping, animal husbandry, fishery, forestry etc. have great potentialities in the agricultural economy. These enterprises not only supplement the income of the farmers but also help in increasing the family labour employment.

The integrated farming system approach introduces a change in the farming techniques for maximum production in the cropping pattern and takes care of optimal utilization of resources.
The farm wastes are better recycled for productive purposes in the integrated system.
A judicious mix of agricultural enterprises like dairy, poultry, piggery, fishery, sericulture etc. suited to the given agro-climatic conditions and socio-economic status of the farmers would bring prosperity in the farming.
Advantages of Integrated Farming System

Higher food production to equate the demand of the exploding population of our nation
Increased farm income through proper residue recycling and allied components
Sustainable soil fertility and productivity through organic waste recycling
Integration of allied activities will result in the availability of nutritious food enriched with protein, carbohydrate, fat, minerals and vitamins
Integrated farming will help in environmental protection through effective recycling of waste from animal activities like piggery, poultry and pigeon rearing
Reduced production cost of components through input recycling from the byproducts of allied enterprises
Regular stable income through the products like egg, milk, mushroom, vegetables, honey and silkworm cocoons from the linked activities in integrated farming
Inclusion of biogas & agro forestry in integrated farming system will solve the prognosticated energy crisis
Cultivation of fodder crops as intercropping and as border cropping will result in the availability of adequate nutritious fodder for animal components like milch cow, goat / sheep, pig and rabbit
Firewood and construction wood requirements could be met from the agroforestry system without affecting the natural forest
Avoidance of soil loss through erosion by agro-forestry and proper cultivation of each part of land.

1. SustainableDevelopmentGoals
POTENTIALOFFISHERIESAND
INTEGRATEDFARMING
Prepared by-
Dr. SubhrajitDas
Veterinary Officer, PecharthalVD
ARDD, Govt. of Tripura

2. ImportanceofSustainableAgriculturePractices

3. Integratedfarmingmaybedefinedassequentiallinkagesbetweentwoormoreagri-
relatedfarmingactivitieswithonefarmingasmajorcomponent.Whenfishbecomes
themajorcommodityinthesystemitistermedasintegratedfishfarming(IFF).
Theintegrationoffishfarmingwithagricultureandanimalhusbandryisconsideredas
sustainablefarmingsystem,whichoffersgreaterefficiencyinresourceutilization,
reducesriskbydiversifyingcrop,andprovidesadditionalincomeandfoodforsmallscale
farminghousehold.

4. SURFACE
FEEDER
COLUMN
FEEDER
BOTTOMFEEDER
POLY-CULTURE
Zooplankton
Phytoplankton
Detritus&insects
Catla
Rohu
Mrigal
Silvercarp
Commoncarp
Grasscarp
Prawn

5. ❖Efficientuseoflandandwaterresources
❖Reducedcostsbyusinganimalmanure
❖Increasedproductivitywithdiversifiedoutputs
❖Sustainablefarmingpractices
❖Naturalpestandweedcontrol
❖Multipleincomestreams
❖Improvedwaterqualityandfishhealth
❖Employmentopportunitiesinruralareas
❖Nutritionalsecuritytothehousehold
ADVANTAGESOFINTEGRATEDFISHFARMING

6. INTEGRATEDFARMING
IntegratedFarmingSystemComponents-10
Apiculture
Aquaculture
Sericulture
Agroforestry
MushroomCultivation
Poultry
Duckery
Horticulture
CropHusbandry
LivestockProduction

7. Fish cum Paddy Culture
Paddyfieldsremainwaterloggedfor3-4months,allowinglow-cost
fishfarmingalongsiderice.
CultivatetraditionalricevarietiessuchasCH-45,Janaki,Radha,
Mansuli,Sabitrirequireslesspesticidesandfertilizers.
Cultivablefishspecies-Catla,Rohu,ChannaPunctatus(spotted
snakehead),ChannaMarulius(bullseye)

10. Small
water
animals
Animal
manureExcessfood,
greenwasteand
weeds
Animals&
itswaste
asfood
Culturespecieswaste
External
feed
Irrigationwater
Culturespeciesexcreta
Greenmatter
fromriceandweeds
Putrefiedfeedasmanure
Circulatingwater
Paddy
field
Aquaculture
Pond& Trench

11. Advantages of Fish cum Paddy Cultivation -
1.Economicalutilizationofland
2. Savingonlabourcosttowardsweedingandsupplementalfeeding
3. Enhancedriceyieldby5-15%,whichis duetotheindirectorganicfertilization through thefishexcreta
Productionoffishfrompaddyfield
4. Fishcontrolofunwantedfilamentousalgaewhichmayotherwisecompeteforthe nutrient
Tilapiaandcommoncarpcontroltheunwantedaquaticweedswhichmayotherwise reducerice yieldup
to50%
5. Insectpestsofricelikestemborersarecontrolledbyfishfeedingonthemmainlyby murrelsand
catfishes
6. Fishfeedontheaquaticintermediatehostsuchasmalariacausingmosquitolarvae,
therebycontrollingwater-borndiseasesofhumanbeings.
7. Ricefieldsmayalsoserveasfishnurseriestogrowfryintofingerlings.

12. Fruits,
vegetables,and
flowerscanbe
grownaround
fishponds.
Cropsshould
beseasonal,
profitable,
evergreen,and
nottooshady.
.
Plantbanana,
mango,papaya,
andcoconuttrees
inrowsonthe
pondbunds.
FISH-CUM-
HORTICULTURE
Ensurea
continuous
water supply
from pits.
1. 2. 3. 4.

13. 01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
LemonCultivation
CultivationPractices:
Plantingduringthemonsoon.
Requiresorganicmanure;pondsiltisexcellentfor
this purpose.
Actsas bio-fencing.
Provides year-round
productionand
revenue.

14. PapayaCultivation
PlantingDetails:
-Spacing:1.8mx1.8m.
-Fertilization:500geachofNPKper
plantintwosplits
Yield:
-30-40kgperplantbytheendofthe
firstyear

15. 01
04
05
06
07
08
BananaCultivation
⮚Reduceswaterturbidityandraisesalkalinity.
⮚Protectspondembankmentsfromerosion.
⮚Greenleavesserveasfood forherbivorous
fishlikegrasscarp.
Benefits:
Yield:
Yieldfromonebighaponddyke:
30quintalsofbananainthefirstyear.

16. withhangingbamboofencing.
⮚Benefitsofusingpondwaterfor
irrigationduringdryseasons.
-RidgeGourd.
CultivationPractices
⮚Utilizespaceoverthewaterbody
Varieties
-WaterGourd,
-Pumpkin,
CREEPERVEGETABLES

17. FISH-CUM-VEGETABLECULTURE
❖Itcanensureregularsupplyofgreen vegetablestothehouseholdaswellas fetch
someincome
❖Pondwaterisnutritiousforvegetable plantshencerequirelessorno fertilizers
❖Whileselectingvegetables,preference shouldbegiventoseasonal,fast growingand
marketablevegetables
❖Brinjal,Tomato,Cucumber,Chilli, Carrot,Radish,Turnip,Creeper vegetables,
Spinach,Cabbageetc.

18. FISH-CUM-FLORICULTURE
⮚Risingdemandofflowersinfragrance,
decor, pharmaceuticalsectorsworldwide.
⮚Aquaculturewithflowersyields20-25%more
profit thanaquaculturealone.
⮚FlowerplantslikeRose,Jasmine,Marigold
etc.can besuccessfullyplantedbythepond.

19. FISH-CUM-CATTLEFARMING
Cowdungiscommonlyusedinfishponds.
Ahealthycowproduces4000-5000kgofdungand3500-4000litersofurineannually.
Fora1-hectarepond,5-6cowsprovidesufficientmanure.
Additionalincome:9000litersofmilkperyear.
Fishproduction:3000-4000kg/ha/year.

20. FISH-CUM-PIGCULTURE
Pigexcretaisreleaseddirectlyintothepond.Fishfeedontheexcreta,whichis70%
digestibleforthem.40-50pigscanfertilizea1hectarepondwiththeirexcreta.
Annualyield:fish3000-
4000kg/hectare;pork
800kg.
Popularpigbreeds:
White Yorkshire,
Hampshire,and
Landrace.

21. ⮚50-60goatsrequiredtofertilize1hectarepond.
⮚Annualyield:fish-3500-4000kgoffish/ha
⮚Goatmeat–1200kg.
⮚PopularBreedsofgoat:ThegoatbreedsareJamanapari,
Beetal,Barbariformilk,andBengal,Sirohi,Deccaniareused
formeatpurposes.
FISH-CUM-GOATCULTURE

22. ⮚Duckdroppingsreducefishfeedcosts
bypromotingplanktongrowthand
contain25%inorganicmatter.
⮚Duckseradicateinsects,control
weeds,andaeratethewater.
⮚300-350duckscanfertilizea1-
hectarepondwiththeirdroppings
⮚Annualyield:fish3000-3500kg/ha;
duckmeat500-600kg.
⮚.
+
FISH-CUM-DUCKCULTURE
+

23. FISH-CUM-POULTRY
⮚Chickendroppingsarerichin nitrogen
andphosphorusand areusedasfertilizer
forfish ponds.
⮚In3-4m.sqspacepoultry housesarebuilt
withbamboo sticksabovethepondsothat
theexcretacanfalldirectlyinto thewater
andfertilizethe water.
500-600birdsarerearedin1hectarepond.
Annualyield:Fish-4500-5000kg/ha;
Chickenmeat-1250kg;Eggs-7000nos.
Undertheintegratedfishfarming,fishdonot
requirechemicalfertilizersandsupplementary
feed.Hoopersareusedtofeedchickensand
reducefeedwastage.

24. ⮚Inthisfarmingsystemsilkwormisculturedalongwithfish.
⮚Herethemulberryleavesproducedisprimarilyconsumedbythesilk
wormandthefaecesofthesilkwormisdirectlyappliedtothefishpond
toincreaseofnaturalfoodorganism-detritusandbacteriainfishpond
FISH-CUM-SERICULTURE
++

25. HOW
TO
GET
BY
PRODUCT
PUPAE
?
Silkwormmake
cocoon
1
2
4
Boilcocoons
Reelsilkfrom
cocoons
Byproductpupae
areobtained
Pupaeareasourceof
proteinforfishes

27. References
1.ShashankSinghet.al.2021.IntegratedFishFarming-RationaleAndScope,Aqua
find.
2.Chan,G.L.,2006.Integratedfarmingsystem.WhatDoesIntegratedFarmingSystem
Do.
3.HandbookofFisheriesandAquaculture,ICAR,NewDelhi,(2006).