Integrated farming system for sustainable agriculture

1. Background: Shri Basavaraj Huchchayyanavar, S/o Shri Virupakshappa Huchchayyanavar of Chikkamalligawad village, is a BA graduate and has completed Diploma in Dairy. He has got 4.0 ha. land with irrigation facility at Chikkamalligawad village of Dharwad taluka. Looking into his curiosity and resource availability, he was motivated to adopt diversified agricultural practices under the guidance of KVK Scientists. He is very hard working and innovative farmer and adopted Agri-Horti-Silvi system; dairy; fishery; vegetable cultivation; intercropping system; azolla; soil and water conservation practices; established bio gas plant, vermicomposting unit, sericulture and fodder production; poultry farming, kitchen garden, goat rearing and preparation of neem based pesticides at farm level itself.

2. Intervention Process: Under the regular guidance and monitoring he was persued to gain more knowledge and practical skill through various training programmes, frequent visit to Agriculture University, KVK and line departments. He has under gone short term and long term training in agriculture and allied sectors sponsored by Agriculture University, KVK and line departments which has effected for productivity, profitability and sustainability enhancement.

3. Intervention Technology: Shri Basavaraj Huchchayyanavar has adopted Integrated Farming System (Agri-Horti-Silvi-Pasture system, Animal husbandry, Production and use of organic manures and pesticides, Soil and water conservation techniques and Sericulture). With his self interest and motivation, cultivating field crops (0.6 ha), horticulture crops (1.0 ha), involved in sericulture (2.0 ha), vermicomposting (0.4 ha), agro-forestry, dairy, poultry and fishery. He is interested in organic farming and sericulture for which he has taken land on lease and has started large scale vermicompost production, sales of earthworms, cocoon rearing, mulberry cultivation etc., The farmer has maintained water bodies such as borewell and farm pond that are used for irrigation; he also owns animal resources like bullock, cow, buffaloe, calf, sheep, heiffer and fish farming. He has adopted innovative technologies such as labour saving equipments and tools viz., tractor, sprayers, bullock and tractor drawn implements and other minor agricultural implements. Shri Basavaraj has adopted integrated farming system and strongly endorses organic farming in all his agricultural practices. He grows a versatile crops including field crops such as jowar, maize, paddy etc., He is cultivating mango, guava, lime, sapota, as well as vegetables and has grown teak, fodder crops, acacia and sandal wood all along the bunds. He has attained household food security which is self sustainable. He has constructed large scale open pit for production of vermicomposting (75’x75’) and 4 small pits (4’x20’) through which he produces 90 tons of vermicompost every year. Besides, he also produce vermicompost of 90 tons/ year in heap system (40’x 40’) with minimum labour engagement. He has enhanced production of vermicompost through utilization of bio gas and bio-digester slurry. He has adopted wider row spacing (5’x3’) in sericulture with improved mulberry varieties (V-1) and growing vegetables as intercrop. He has undertaken large sc ale production of mulberry cuttings (50,000 seedlings/ year) with Karnataka State Dept. of Sericulture. He is also rearing sericulture eggs at farm level which is transported and marketed to Mysore. He has cultivated mango with guava, lime and mulberry as intercropping in organic form. Bio gas generated from agri and animal waste is utilized for cleaning Chandrike. The innovative farmer is cultivating local/native varieties of paddy so as to protect and preserve endangered local paddy varieties. He is conserving resources through collection of run of water through contour bunding, insect and pest management through need based pesticides application, use of pheromone traps, growing of trap crops, regular spray of panchagavya etc., Integrated water management practices in the form of drip with fertigation has been implemented. Indigenous technical knowledge such as smudging in mango, neem based pesticides, application of organic manure @ 5 tons/ha and tank silt @ 20 tons/ha are being practiced for mango. His credibility as a quality vermicompost and cocoon production has been well established in and around Karnataka. Based on his experience he has developed drum type sieving equipment using local material for cleaning vermicompost as well as separating the worms from the produce. For his outstanding innovations in the field of organic farming and sericulture he has been credited with the following awards;

a. National Award-Innovative Farmer Award 2015 instituted by IARI, New Delhi

b. Karnataka state award- “Krishi Pandit-2013-14”

c. District lavel Best Farmer award-2014 from University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad Karnataka

d. Highest cocoon producer award-2014 from Department of Sericulture, Karnataka State

e. Best sericulturist in bio-voltine cocoon production’ in Northern Karnataka awarded by CSRTI, Mysore and Bengaluru, CSB, MoT, GoI and Dept. of Sericulture, GoK on 05.03.2011 at Belagavi

4. Impact Horizontal Spread: Helped in the dissemination of technology to more than 650 farmers in and around the district.

5. Impact Economic Gains: The case represents that it is possible to make agriculture a remunerative enterprise enough with a farmers’ optimism, positive outlook and initiative combined with institutional support and innovative technologies. Most farmers view agriculture as a losing proposition in modern times whereas achiever farmers like Basavaraj have capitalized on entrepreneurial opportunities and special government provisions available in their environment. Before adoption of these technologies, his farm income was Rs. 6,12,800/-. The adoption of best practices through intervention of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Saidapur Farm, Dharwad enhanced his productivity leading to sustainable income of Rs. 9,90,000/- annually.

6. Impact on Employment Generation: By adopting all these practices, he has engaged 15-20 men/women for carrying out of all these activities throughout the year with attractive remuneration.