Evaluation of Horticulture Based IFS Models for Providing Nutritional Security to Small and Marginal Farmers of Western Plain Zone of Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

The farm holding size of India has been declining over years as a result of indiscriminate fragmentation of land holding, industrialization and urbanization. Small farm holders including the small and marginal farmers constitute more than 86% of Indian farm families. Under such situation horticulture plays a significant role in contributing to food and livelihood security along with the employment generation. Three horticulture based modules viz. fruit tree based (CS-1, 0.3 ha), vegetable crops based (CS-2, 0.22 ha) and field crop based (CS-3, 0.4 ha) were evaluated. In CS-1 mango, guava and banana were grown as the main crops whereas cucumber, radish, carrot and onion as intercrops in mango, brinjal, vegetable pea and okra as intercrop in guava and turmeric as intercrop in banana.  In CS-2, turmeric, bottlegourd-cauliflower-tomato and brinjal-potato were grown while under in CS-3 system Rice-wheat and sugarcane-sugarcane ratoon-wheat were grown. Results obtained from the study revealed that among the three modules, vegetable based system has been found most effective in terms of net returns for the first two years. The net returns ha^-1 from the vegetable based system was INR 151640 followed by CS-3 (INR 68765) followed by CS-1 being INR 44660. Vegetable based system also resulted in higher employment generation. Fruit based system gave lowest net returns hectare^-1 as low yield was recorded from the fruit trees during the initial years. Initial results of the study revealed that through diversification of existing farming system livelihood of poor farmers can be improved significantly.