Integrated Farming System (IFS) Model

The School has developed and recommended an Integrated Farming System model of one ha for small farmers demonstrating the potential of their income enhancement. The farming system components include dairy (2 cows), fishery (2 Kanal), horticulture (4 Kanal), Agro-forestry (1 Kanal), kitchen garden (0.5 Kanal) and field & fodder crops (1.5 acre). This one ha model farm can generate about 3.5 times more income than the rice - wheat cropping system on one ha.

Organic cropping systems:

• Basmati rice-wheat; maize-wheat; soybean-wheat; maize-potato-onion/summer moong; maize-potato + radish (1:1)-onion + coriander (1:4); maize-durum wheat-cowpeas; turmeric-onion; okra-radish-pea; brinjal-pea

Organic fodder systems

• Maize-berseem-bajra/maize+cowpea.

Conventional cropping systems:

• Maize-vegetable pea/potato-spring Maize; Maize-potato-onion; groundnut-potato-bajra (fodder); Maize/summer groundnut-kharif onion-onion ; Groundnut-gobhi sarson + toria; turmeric –onion /late sown wheat

Green manuring in basmati rice

• No need to apply urea to basmati rice after green manuring.

Integrated nutrient management in turmeric:

• 12.5 tonnes FYM/ha before planting and 62.5 kg nitrogen / ha in two equal splits at 75 and 100 days after planting.

Potato planting geometry:

• For mechanical potato planting, plant potato at 65cm x 18.5 cm or 75cm x l5cm and for seed potato production at 65cm x 15cm or 75cm x 15cm depending upon the machinery.

Row spacing in wheat:

• Sow wheat at 15 - 20cm row spacing for higher grain yield.

Bio-fertilizers:

• 12.5 tonnes FYM/ha before planting and 62.5 kg nitrogen / ha in two equal splits at 75 and 100 days after planting.

Weed management:

• Potato : Application of paddy straw mulch at 6.0 t/ha is effective for weed control in autumn potato, as an alternate to herbicides.
  
• Organic turmeric: To manage weeds in organic turmeric apply 10.0 t/ha paddy straw mulch at the time of planting and if needed, give one hand weeding at 3 months after planting. If straw mulch is not applied then give three hand weedings at 1, 2 and 3 months after planting the crop.