Suitable Integrated Farming System Models in Terms of Energetics, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Employment Generation for the Small and Marginal Farmers

Rayapati Karthik, Maparla Venkata Ramana, Cheekati Pragathi Kumari, Tata Ram Prakash, Manthati Goverdhan, Danavath Saida Naik, Nallagatla Vinod Kumar, Mandapelli Sharath Chandra, Rajan Bhatt, Khalid M. Elhindi and Mohamed A. Mattar ()
Additional contact information
Rayapati Karthik: Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030, India
Maparla Venkata Ramana: AICRP on Integrated Farming System, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030, India
Cheekati Pragathi Kumari: AICRP on Integrated Farming System, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030, India
Tata Ram Prakash: AICRP on Weed Management, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030, India
Manthati Goverdhan: AICRP on Integrated Farming System, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030, India
Danavath Saida Naik: Department of Crop Physiology, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030, India
Nallagatla Vinod Kumar: Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030, India
Mandapelli Sharath Chandra: AICRP on Integrated Farming System, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030, India
Rajan Bhatt: PAU-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Amritsar 143601, India
Khalid M. Elhindi: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed A. Mattar: Department of Agricultural Engineering, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 23, 1-16

Abstract: Food grain production has multiplied over the last two decades in India, but natural resources are overexploited in modern farming. Farmers, especially those with small and marginal holdings, are suffering losses more often than not, the cost of production is increasing year after year, and profits are not up to the necessary levels. To address such challenges, there has been a broad recognition of the importance of employing farming system approaches in research. The cultivation of cropping systems with orchard crops and livestock components can play a significant role in the optimal utilization of resources, enhancing energy use efficiency as well as the eco-efficiency index, and reducing carbon footprints. This study was carried out to create a suitable IFS model with high economic and energy efficiency for small-holder farmers in India’s southern plateau and hills with a negligible impact on the environment. The following were the seven models: M 1 : Rice − Groundnut; M 2 : Rice − Groundnut, Pigeonpea + Sweetcorn (1:3) − Bajra, Bt cotton + Greengram (1:2) − Maize; M 3 : Rice − Groundnut, Pigeonpea + Sweetcorn (1:3) − Bajra, Pigeonpea + Maize (1:3) − Sunhemp; Napier grass, Sheep (5 + 1); M 4 : Rice − Groundnut, Pigeonpea + Sweetcorn (1:3) − Bajra, Bt cotton + Greengram (1:2) − Maize, Pigeonpea + Maize (1:3) − Sunhemp, Poultry unit; M 5 : Guava, Hedge Lucerne, Napier grass, Bt cotton + Greengram (1:2) − Maize, Sheep (5 + 1); M 6 : Guava, Bt cotton + Greengram (1:2) − Maize, Rice − Groundnut, Poultry; M 7 : Rice − Groundnut, Pigeonpea + Sweetcorn (1:3) − Bajra, Pigeonpea + Maize (1:3) − Sunhemp; Napier grass, Hedge lucerne, Poultry (100), Sheep (5 + 1). Model M 1 was used to represent the local region, and the other models were compared in terms of economics, energetics, greenhouse gas emissions, and employment creation. The M 7 and M 3 models, according to the results, have higher economic efficiency (₹342.3 day −1 , ₹263.7 day −1 ), increase output energy (228,529 and 183,231 MJ) net energy (258,184 and 198,920 MJ), produce net negative emissions (−2842 and −2399 kg CO 2 eq.), and create jobs year-round (112.5 and 110.5 man days year −1 ), respectively. This is primarily because they have multiple highly efficient components that make them viable for Telangana’s small and marginal farmers.

Keywords: energetics; eco-efficiency index; greenhouse gas emissions; employment generation; integrated farming system; Telangana (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/23/10189/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/23/10189/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:23:p:10189-:d:1526258

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().