Crop Farming Systems Research Articles

Determinants of climate change awareness and the incidence across farming systems and agroecological zones in Sierra Leone

Farmers' awareness and the incidence of climate change are crucial inputs to effectively scale up interventions to mitigate the effects of climate change. This is because incidence leads to awareness due to observation of occurrences. The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of climate change awareness and incidence across farming systems and agroecological zones in Sierra Leone. An ex-post-facto research design was applied, while a multistage sampling procedure was used to select 865 smallholder farmers across agroecological zones and farming systems. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire subjected to face validity and split-half reliability tests. This data analyzed frequency counts, percentages, multiple regression, and principal component analysis. The results show that farmers in the coastal plain, savannah woodland, and transitional rainforest had greater awareness and incidence of climate change across the crop, livestock, and fishery farming systems. The significant determinants of awareness and incidence of climate change among farmers are the adoption of crop smart practices (t = 4.192; p < 0.01); information needs on water smart practices (t = −5.581; p < 0.01); adoption of nutrient smart practices (t = 10.592; p < 0.01); adoption of energy/carbon smart practices (t = 3.206; p < 0.01); adoption of livestock smart practices (t = 3.608; p < 0.01); information needs on weather smart practices (t = 3.505; p < 0.01); incidence of climate change (t = 16.282; p < 0.01); and constraints on nutrient smart practices (t = −2.669; p < 0.01). The Principal Component analysis identified four factors, namely Factor 1 (Impact), Factor 2 (Occurrence), Factor 3 (Evidence), and Factor 4 (Threat), and accounted for 14.96%, 8.27%, 6.41%, 3.50% of the variance, respectively, with a cumulative variance of 33.14%. The study concludes that farmers are aware of the incidence of climate change and are adopting different techniques in response to the different climate changes observed. This study also recommends the identification of specific climate change adaptations and the scaling of interventions for adaptation and mitigation.

Phosphorus flow characteristics in the waste system of Poyang Lake Watershed over the past 70 years

With the intensification of human activities, the amount of phosphorus (P)-containing waste has increased. When such waste is not recycled, P is released into the environment, leading to environmental issues such as the eutrophication of water bodies. In this study, based on the material flow analysis method, a P Waste Flow analysis model (P-WFA) was developed to analyze the P flow in the waste system of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China. To address the research gap in long-term P flow analysis at the watershed scale, this study quantified the P content in the waste system of the Poyang Lake Watershed from 1950 to 2020. The analysis revealed that from 1950 to 2020, the total P input into the waste system increased from 5.49 × 104 tons in 1950 to 2.28 × 105 tons in 2020. The breeding industry system was identified as the primary source, accounting for 25.19–41.59 % of the total waste system. Over the past 70 years, P loss to surface water from waste systems has been primarily facilitated by manure from the breeding industry, as well as drainage from crop farming systems (77.74 % in 2020). At the same time, the P recycling rate (PRR) of the waste system exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease, increasing from 44.14 % to 47.75 % before dropping to 44.41 %. Population growth, urbanization, and changes in consumption levels in Jiangxi Province have led to changes in the dietary structure and fertilizer use, consequently affecting the P cycling pattern. This study presents a comprehensive P flow model for waste systems in the Poyang Lake Watershed. This model can be used as a reference to enhance P cycling and manage P loss in other large freshwater lakes.

Wild relatives and new breeding techniques sustain Fe and Zn biofortified crop farming systems under climate change and emergencies

Wild relatives and new breeding techniques sustain Fe and Zn biofortified crop farming systems under climate change and emergencies

The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security and Natural Resource Management in Smallholder Crop Farming Systems at Mthonjaneni Local Municipality, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

This study assessed the impact of climate change on food security and natural resource management on crop farming systems. Forty-five respondents were interviewed using an open-ended, and structured questionnaire. The open-ended questions allowed respondents to share their thoughts and experiences in their own words, while the structured questions helped to ensure that all respondents were asked the same questions and that the data collected was consistent. The results of this study showed that smallholder farmers perceived an increase in hot days (51.1%), a decrease in rainfall (51.1%), and a decrease in flood occurrence (71.1%). In addition, 95.2% of the respondents indicated that climatic conditions have influenced their farming systems. Natural resource changes noticed by farmers because of climate change include reduced grazing feedlot for livestock farmers (85%), reduced herbaceous cover (80%), decline in volume of water (57.8%), and increased tree damage and land degradation (11.1%). Increased soil erosion (6.7%) and increased bush encroachment (2.2%) were some of the natural resource challenges facing smallholder farmers. Some signs of climate change experienced by farmers included increases in crop pests (71%) and crop disease (8,9%). The adaptation strategies applied included the following: use of water harvesting, use of little soil disturbance techniques, adjusted fertiliser use, application of different planting dates techniques, use of different crop varieties, use of drought tolerant seeds, applied crop diversification, use of techniques that shortened growth length, planting new trees and avoiding planting on sloppy areas, and applied soil conservation techniques. Agriculture extension advisors should address vulnerable systems, including agricultural water and natural resources. In addition, it is important for agriculture extension advisors to strengthen the link between climate change adaptation and key climate change policy processesto improve their effectiveness and ability to deal with the effects of climate change. This will help overcome shortcomings along the food value chain and ensure food security.

Impact of Agroforestry Adoption among Smallholder Farmers’ Households in Zambia: An Expenditure Approach

The environmental, economic, and social effects of climate change are expected to be profound for smallholder farmers, especially in developing countries like Zambia, whose way of life is largely dependent on the natural world. Many developing countries have realized that climate-smart agricultural practices such as agroforestry are a solution to existing problems caused by climate change. Agroforestry technologies incorporate tree crops in farming systems that benefit farmers with fodder for animals and fruits, reduce erosion, and reclaim soil fertility. This study investigated the impacts of agroforestry adoption on smallholder farmers’ crop productivity and household expenditure in Nyimba district, Zambia. The study further explored the factors influencing the adoption of agroforestry among smallholder farmers in the study area. Data was collected from July to August of 2022 from 325 randomly selected smallholder farmers’ households in four villages in the Nyimba district of Zambia. A binary logistic regression model was used in this study to determine factors influencing the adoption of agroforestry among smallholder farmers. The results revealed that smallholder farmers’ household head education level, access to extension services, household size, access to credit, farming experience, farmland size, and distance to the nearest market had an influence on agroforestry adoption. Propensity score matching was performed to determine the impacts of agroforestry adoption on smallholder farmers’ household expenditure and crop productivity. The results revealed that smallholder farmers’ household adopters had 1,929.040 kilograms of crop yield (Zea mays L.) higher than non-adopters by 817.43 kilograms. Household expenditure for smallholder farmers adopters was ZMW 8,873.47 higher than non-adopters by ZMW 5,617.91 in the study area. The findings imply that smallholder farmers’ households should implement agroforestry in the long term to improve their household welfare. Therefore, the study suggested that efforts should be focused concomitantly on the diffusion of agroforestry options and the lifting of their adoption barriers among smallholder farmers

Drought versus flood: What matters more to the performance of Sahel farming systems?

AbstractRecent climate change has brought new patterns of extreme events in terms of both drought and heavy rainfall to the drought‐prone African Sahel. The effects of these recent extreme events on the performance of the Sahel farming systems are still weakly investigated. This study aims at assessing effects of droughts versus floods on crop yield levels and losses, focusing on the so‐called recovery period, particularly 2001–2020. A newly developed productivity‐drought condition index (PDCI) is utilized to assess agricultural productivity as related to drought or flood in a highly vulnerable region, that is, the Sudanese Sahel. Four farming systems, namely traditional rainfed, mechanized rainfed, gravity irrigated and spate irrigated systems, with sorghum and millet as staple food crops, are considered. The PDCI is defined as a function of the integrated normalized difference vegetation index (iNDVI) over the growing season. To address temporal and spatial variabilities, scaling of the PDCI is done in two dimensions: space and time. Crop statistics are used to derive yield losses. Our results show that both drought and flood episodes (seven and six episodes, respectively) can be captured using the PDCI. Drought remains the most relevant risk to Sahel's crop productivity. Some recent large‐scale floods led to yield loss. However, floods cause smaller risks to agricultural productivity compared to droughts. Floods may even result in enhanced crop yields. Based upon scaling in the time or space domain, ranking the severity of drought impacts on crop yield for individual years from 2001 to 2020 reveals least to slightly different results. Vulnerability to drought depends on the crop type and farming system. Drought effect on crop yield from the irrigated sector is clear on individual years but not as a general statistical relationship. The parameter ‘percentage area under drought’ explains around one‐third of the variation in the rainfed crop yield. The spate irrigation scheme, the gravity irrigated system and the rainfed farmlands experienced respectively 87%, 57% and 46% of area under drought on average. Irrigated systems produce much higher crop yields than rainfed systems. The mechanized system is more drought‐vulnerable than the traditional system. These results call for identifying agricultural management pathways that recognize the combined implications of both hydrological extremes for the region's food security.

Scientific agenda for climate risk and impact assessment of West African cropping systems

Rainfed agriculture is at the centre of many West African economies and a key livelihood strategy in the region. Highly variable rainfall patterns lead to a situation in which farmers’ investments to increase productivity are very risky and will become more risky with climate change. Process-based cropping system models are a key tool to assess the impact of weather variability and climate change, as well as the effect of crop management options on crop yields, soil fertility and farming system resilience and widely used by the West African scientific community. Challenges to use are related to their consideration of the prevailing systems and conditions of West African farms, as well as limited data availability for calibration. We outline here a number of factors need to be considered if they are to contribute to the scientific basis underlying transformation of farming systems towards sustainability. These include: capacity building, improved models, FAIR data, research partnerships and using models in co-development settings.

Economics of Fodder Cultivation in Punjab and Haryana

Background: Fodder cultivation has direct bearings on the production of milk by the dairy animals as it forms a major part of rearing cost incurred for milch animals. Several studies have pointed out the benefits of fodder cultivation, but the area under fodder cultivation is quite low; and its limited supply is hindering the milk productivity. Hence, the present study was undertaken to estimate the economics of fodder cultivation of kharif and rabi season in Punjab and Haryana as these two states have highest per capita milk availability in India. Methods: Primary data on fodder cultivation was recorded for the year 2019-20. A sample of 100 respondents were interviewed from Punjab (Patiala, Bhatinda, Amritsar and Ludhiana districts) and 100 were selected from Haryana (Hisar, Karnal, Kaithal and Panipat districts). Simple arithmetic mean and percentages were used in the study. Result: The output-input ratio for kharif and rabi fodder in Punjab and Haryana were found to be of 1.52 to 1.64 and 3.61 to 4.12. Since, majority of the farmers in these states follow crop and dairy farming system, due consideration should be provided to fodder cultivation as well.

117 Effects of Cattle Removal Date on Sustainability of Cool-Season Annual Grazed Cover Crop Systems

Abstract Grazing of cool-season cover crops has been shown to be a viable tool in extending the grazing season while mitigating environmental risks associated with row crop farming systems. While there is a vast amount of research available on cover crops in relation to soil health, a more novel approach would be to focus on forage production and animal performance when grazing cover crops. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the effects of cattle removal date on forage yield, forage quality, and steer performance when grazing cool-season cover crops. A cool-season forage mix consisting of ‘Cosaque’ oats (Avena strigose), ‘FL401’ cereal rye (Secale cereal), ‘AU Sunrise’ crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), and ‘T-raptor’ brassica (Brassica napus × B. rapa) was established in twelve, 0.62 ha paddocks in Headland, AL. Each paddock was then randomly allocated to one of four cattle removal treatments: 1) no grazing (CON); 2) February removal (FEB); 3) March removal (MAR); or 4) April removal (APR). Three tester steers were randomly allotted, based on body weight (BW), to each of the grazing treatments, excluding CON. The tester steers were weighed every 30 d for calculation of initial BW, final BW, and average daily gain (ADG). At inception and every subsequent two weeks, forage was harvested to analyze average forage yield, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and crude protein (CP). All data were analyzed using GLIMMIX procedure of SAS version 9.4 (SAS Inst., Cary, NC). Significant differences in forage yield were detected between CON and FEB (3,913 vs. 2,261 kg/ha; P < 0.001), CON and MAR (3,913 vs. 1,790 kg/ha; P < 0.001), and CON and APR (3,913 vs. 1,810 kg/ha; P < 0.001). There were no differences found for ADG (1.2 kg/day; P = 0.56), NDF (50.94%; P = 0.46), or ADF (30.34%; P = 0.25) among treatments. Results indicate that grazing of cool-season annual cover crops will reduce forage yield, but removal date of cattle will not further affect forage yield, quality, or individual cattle performance. Thus, we can reduce winter supplementation needs for cattle by increasing grazing days; however, under continuous grazing for stocker cattle production, forage availability may inevitably be the limiting factor.

Accounting for Weather Variability in Farm Management Resource Allocation in Northern Ghana: An Integrated Modeling Approach

Smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana face challenges due to weather variability and market volatility, hindering their ability to invest in sustainable intensification options. Modeling can help understand the relationships between productivity, environmental, and economical aspects, but few models have explored the effects of weather variability on crop management and resource allocation. This study introduces an integrated modeling approach to optimize resource allocation for smallholder mixed crop and livestock farming systems in Northern Ghana. The model combines a process-based crop model, farm simulation model, and annual optimization model. Crop model simulations are driven by a large ensemble of weather time series for two scenarios: good and bad weather. The model accounts for the effects of climate risks on farm management decisions, which can help in supporting investments in sustainable intensification practices, thereby bringing smallholder farmers out of poverty traps. The model was simulated for three different farm types represented in the region. The results suggest that farmers could increase their income by allocating more than 80% of their land to cash crops such as rice, groundnut, and soybeans. The optimized cropping patterns have an over 50% probability of increasing farm income, particularly under bad weather scenarios, compared with current cropping systems.

Influence of farmers’ socio-economic characteristics on nutrient flow and implications for system sustainability in smallholdings: a review

The rise in global human population, coupled with the effects of climate change, has increased the demand for arable land. Soil fertility has been the most affected, among other things. Many approaches to soil fertility management have been proposed by studies in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA); however, the question of sustainability remains. Nutrient monitoring (NUTMON), which combines biophysical and socio-economic features for soil fertility management, gives an in-situ soil fertility status of a given land use system, which ultimately provides guidance in proposing appropriate soil management techniques in a given land use system. In this review, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) approach was deployed for a systematic search of the literature materials. The review evaluated various studies on nutrient monitoring in SSA soils in order to understand the socioeconomic attributes and their influence on farming systems, as well as nutrient flow and balances. The review identified two dominant smallholder farming systems in SSA: mixed crop-livestock and mixed crop farming systems. Also, this review revealed that most nutrient balance studies in SSA have been done in mixed crop and livestock farming systems. However, regardless of the farming systems, the overall mean nutrient balances in all studies, particularly those of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K), were negative, indicating significant nutrient mining. The review further revealed a vast range of biophysical soil fertility management technologies; however, their adoption has been limited by socio-economic aspects including land ownership, gender, financial position, literacy level, and access to inputs. Therefore, in view of this situation, integrating biophysical and socioeconomic disciplines could address the problem of soil nutrient depletion holistically, thus decreasing the existing negative nutrient balances in the SSA region.

Multi-locus genome-wide association study of chickpea reference set identifies genetic determinants of Pratylenchus thornei resistance.

Pratylenchus thornei is an economically important species of root-lesion nematode adversely affecting chickpea (Cicer arietinum) yields globally. Integration of resistant crops in farming systems is recognised as the most effective and sustainable management strategy for plant-parasitic nematodes. However, breeding for P. thornei resistance in chickpea is limited by the lack of genetic diversity. We deployed a genome-wide association approach to identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with P. thornei resistance in 285 genetically diverse chickpea accessions. Chickpea accessions were phenotyped for P. thornei resistance in replicated glasshouse experiments performed for two years (2018 and 2020). Whole genome sequencing data comprising 492,849 SNPs were used to implement six multi-locus GWAS models. Fourteen chickpea genotypes were found to be resistant to P. thornei. Of the six multi-locus GWAS methods deployed, FASTmrMLM was found to be the best performing model. In all, 24 significant quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) were identified, of which 13 QTNs were associated with lower nematode population density and 11 QTNs with higher nematode population density. These QTNs were distributed across all of the chickpea chromosomes, except chromosome 8. We identified, receptor-linked kinases (RLKs) on chromosomes 1, 4 and 6, GDSL-like Lipase/Acylhydrolase on chromosome 3, Aspartic proteinase-like and Thaumatin-like protein on chromosome 4, AT-hook DNA-binding and HSPRO2 on chromosome 6 as candidate genes for P. thornei resistance in the chickpea reference set. New sources of P. thornei resistant genotypes were identified that can be harnessed into breeding programs and putative candidate P. thornei resistant genes were identified that can be explored further to develop molecular markers and accelerate the incorporation of improved P. thornei resistance into elite chickpea cultivars.

Biomimetic tool design improves tillage efficiency, seedbed quality, and straw incorporation during rototilling in conservation farming

Rotary tillage facilitates conservation agriculture in rice-based crop farming systems through minimal soil disturbance for seedbed preparation and crop residue management. However, efficiency of rotary tiller blades is hampered by degraded paddy soils and excessive crop residue conditions. Biomimetics presents an edge in the optimisation design of cultivation tools and can be employed to improve the efficiency of rotary tiller blades. This study was designed to evaluate the adaptability and performance of biomimetic rotary tiller blades inspired by the geometric structure of a mole rat’s claw. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the blades’ torque and power requirements, soil fragmentation, displacement characteristics, and the rate of straw incorporation at three tillage depths (i.e., 40, 70, and 100 mm). Results revealed that the biomimetic blades minimised torque by up to 21.05%, had lower specific power requirements, and produced finer tilths with granular and more even clod sizes than conventional blades. It also achieved more redistribution of topsoil and improved the straw burial rate. The biomimetic rotary tiller blades are thus energy-efficient and can improve soil structure and the quality of seedbeds, besides managing crop residues through incorporation, and therefore advance conservation tillage in intensive farming systems.

Mixed Cropping as a Response to Climate Change in Manyoni District, Tanzania

This article assesses the role of mixed cropping in response to climate change in Manyoni district, Tanzania. The study adopted a mixed research design where quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used. Simple random and purposive sampling were used to select respondents for the study. Household survey, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, observation and document review methods were used to collect data. The household survey included 362 heads of households. Data on rainfall and temperature was collected from the Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA), while linear analysis was used to determine the trends of rainfall and temperature. The findings revealed that about 80.9% of the households engaged in farming perceived climate change through the decrease in rainfall, and 88.7% perceived it through the increase in temperature. The study found that mixed cropping is still a practical farming system in response to climate change due to various potentials associated with it, including: crop insurance, improvement of soil fertility, assurance of crop production, and minimization of pests and diseases that attack crops. The findings also revealed that not all farmers were practicing the mixed crop farming system due to various impediments, such as the impact of Western farming knowledge, and the lack of education and information about the usefulness of mixed cropping in response to climate change. The study concludes that mixed cropping as a traditional farming system is still viable, appropriate and a game-changer in dealing with climate change. Thus, it is recommended that collective strategies to promote mixed cropping as a traditional farming system be sustained to increase crop production.

Functional and phylogenetic diversity of an agricultural matrix avifauna: The role of habitat heterogeneity in Afrotropical farmland.

Varied strategies to alleviate the loss of farmland biodiversity have been tested, yet there is still insufficient evidence supporting their effectiveness, especially when considering phylogenetic and functional diversity alongside traditional taxonomic diversity metrics. This conservation challenge is accentuated in the Afrotropics by the rapid agricultural expansion and intensification for the production of cash crops and by a comparative lack of research. In this study, we assessed how farming practices influence avian phylogenetic and functional diversity. We conducted point‐count surveys to assess avian diversity in monocultures of tea and mixed crop farming systems surrounding the Nyungwe rainforest in south‐west Rwanda, allowing us to investigate the drivers of avian diversity at farm level. Species composition was found to be moderately different between farm types, with mixed crop farms supporting higher phylogenetic diversity than tea plantations. There were no significant seasonal differences in species composition, functional or phylogenetic diversity. Overall, functional diversity did not differ between farm types, but the dispersion of trophic‐related traits was significantly higher in mixed crop farms. Both functional and phylogenetic diversity were influenced by floristic diversity, vegetation height, tree number, and elevation to varying degrees. Our results also (i) highlight the role of farmland heterogeneity (e.g., crop species composition, height, and tree cover extent) in encouraging avian functional and phylogenetic diversity in the Afrotropics and (ii) indicate that the generally negative biodiversity impacts of monoculture agriculture can be partially alleviated by extensive agroforestry with an emphasis on indigenous tree species.

An In-Depth Study of Multiple Cropping Farming Systems: The Impact on Cocoa Farmers’ Income

Multiple cropping farming systems affect farmers' income and have become a serious determinant in agricultural development. The diversity of information received by the farmers including multiple cropping can provide new knowledge, which will in turn influence productivity and income. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the benefits of multiple cropping and its economic impact on cocoa farmers' income. It was conducted using the Ordinary Least Square Method to estimate parameters and RC Ratio for income comparison from the farming systems. The results showed that the choice of farmers in cropping patterns and types of crops is aimed at avoiding crop failure. The advantage of multiple cropping is that the use of soil nutrients is more effective because plants grow together on the same land. It also provides a higher income compared to monocropping and tends to reduce operational costs. Among the five factors evaluated, only three influenced farmers' income through extension activities. They are information on credit amount obtained, level of heterogeneity, and agricultural production. These factors are important aspects of communication activities that can increase knowledge in a heterogeneous environment of multiple cropping systems, which will, in turn, improve farmers' income.

Impact of Climate Change on Dryland Agricultural Systems: A Review of Current Status, Potentials, and Further Work Need.

Dryland agricultural system is under threat due to climate extremes and unsustainable management. Understanding of climate change impact is important to design adaptation options for dry land agricultural systems. Thus, the present review was conducted with the objectives to identify gaps and suggest technology-based intervention that can support dry land farming under changing climate. Careful management of the available agricultural resources in the region is a current need, as it will play crucial role in the coming decades to ensure food security, reduce poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. Technology based regional collaborative interventions among Universities, Institutions, Growers, Companies etc. for water conservation, supplemental irrigation, foliar sprays, integrated nutrient management, resilient crops-based cropping systems, artificial intelligence, and precision agriculture (modeling and remote sensing) are needed to support agriculture of the region. Different process-based models have been used in different regions around the world to quantify the impacts of climate change at field, regional, and national scales to design management options for dryland cropping systems. Modeling include water and nutrient management, ideotype designing, modification in tillage practices, application of cover crops, insect, and disease management. However, diversification in the mixed and integrated crop and livestock farming system is needed to have profitable, sustainable business. The main focus in this work is to recommend different agro-adaptation measures to be part of policies for sustainable agricultural production systems in future.

Status and trends of pollination services in Amazon agroforestry systems

With the growing demand for food production worldwide, natural landscapes are increasingly being replaced by agricultural areas, which directly affects biodiversity and local ecosystem services. Agroforestry systems, which are the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems, are a more sustainable production approach that has been increasing in several forested areas around the globe. Here, we examine the trends of agroforestry in the Brazilian Legal Amazon and estimate the associated value of ecosystem services mediated by pollinators. Using data from 2006 and 2017, we detected an increase in agroforestry activity in the Amazon, both in the number (3.27%) and in the area (23.18%) of establishments. Crop production in forested areas increased by 45.61% in the same period, and the main products cultivated in both years were native products from the Amazon, such as açaí , Brazil nut and babassu. Although the crop data are from forested areas, all the five crops with the highest production value are associated with agroforestry in the Amazon. Pollination services also increased during the same period from US$73.3 to US$156.7 million (113.76%). In 2006, the value of pollination services corresponded to 44% of the total crop production, and it jumped to 64.43% in 2017. Bees and beetles were the two main groups of pollinators quoted for the analysed crops. Our estimates show the important contribution of pollinators to crop production in the Amazon forest. However, a growing loss of Amazon forest has been observed, and this can jeopardize pollinators and have detrimental consequences on food production in the near future. Public policies are urgently needed to encourage crop production in harmony with natural areas, combining the protection of forests and pollinators with food production.

Economic Analysis of Integrated Farming Systems in Mahbubnagar District of Southern Telangana Zone

Aim: Farmers followed integrated farming but not on a commercial scale with heightened practices. However, local level characterization of different farming systems were analyzed on how adoption of farming systems and which remunerative components can improve their income levels, in turn their livelihood sustainability particularly, small and marginal farmers.
 Methodology: Mahbubnagar, a rainfed district of the state was chosen to understand the characterization of farming systems under resource poor conditions. Multistage sampling technique was used. Herfindahl index was calculated for selection of mandals. Two mandals, four villages from each mandal and 15 farmers @ each village, total 120 farmers were selected.
 Results: Four major farming systems Crop, Crop -Cattle, Crop - Cattle - Goat, Crop - Cattle – Sheep labelled as (FS-I, FS-II, FS-III and FS-IV) were identified in the study area. FS-IV (1.81) was the most remunerative farming system. Even across different farmer sizes, it was found best with the highest Benefit-Cost ratio(B-C) ratios. The highest adoption percent was for FS-II (36.67%) followed by -I, III, IV (20.83 %), (19.2 %), (9.17%) respectively.
 Of the integrated farming systems, the highest remunerative component was Cattle for FS-II. (Cattle >Goat> Crop) is the declining order of the remunerative components for FS-III. (Sheep
 >Crop > Cattle) is the order for FS-IV. Across different size-classes of farmers (marginal, small and semi-medium), in all FS-I was found least remunerative. They showed consistent declining order of remunerative systems (FS-IV >-II > -III >-I) for marginal farmers, small farmers (FS-II > -III >-I) and semi-medium farmers (FS-IV >-II > -III >-I)
 Conclusion: IFS reaped higher returns than only crop farming system. Livestock components added more weightage on income yielded in each farming system. Across all farmers’ classes, it is concluded that integration of different components enterprises increased the returns. Marginal and small farmers have better B-C ratios than semi-medium farmers in all farming systems.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF AGROFORESTRY TREES/SHRUBS IN YAYU COFFEE FOREST BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Agroforestry is intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits. In the country, various studies focusing on floristic diversity, and ecology of agroforestry practices for household food and nutrition security is well studied but not for socio- economic aspect. Therefore this study was designed to assess the socio-economic contribution of agroforestry species in Yayu Coffee Forest biosphere reserve. A total of 268 households from four districts (Bilo Nopa, Yayu, Dorani and Chora) were selected systematically and agroforestry species inventory was undertaken along with the socio-economic survey using structured questionnaire. The socioeconomic contributions of agroforestry species were analyzed using logit regression analysis using STATA software. A total of 65 agroforestry species belonging to 41 families were recorded. The results of the linear regression analysis showed that, land ownership, education status, non-timber forest product income, family size, and livestock are the main factors that determining farmers’ decision to adopt tree planting in the study area. Overall, this study denotes that agroforestry species affect the livelihood of residents and the agroforestry practices were significantly determined by socio-economic characteristics of the community in Yayu coffee forest biosphere reserve.