Natural Silvipastoral Resource Covers of India

Silvipastures are one of the important resource bases of a country. They are not only the main source of herbage availability for the livestock rearing and wildlife but also the major instrument for wasteland rehabilitation. Despite of enormous importance, there was a huge gap about the available information on natural forage resources (grasslands/forage trees/silvipastures), their makeup, successions, and coverage constrains and scope for improvement (Dabadghao and Shankarnarayan, 1973). Therefore, an attempt has been made to identify and delineate the natural silvipastoral cover of India which will help in effective planning and execution of watershed development and other forage programmes wherein livestock needs are to be addressed

\u3cem\u3e Albizia procera\u3c/em\u3e Based Silvipastoral System: An Ideal Alternate Land Use System for Sustainable Forage Production in Semi-Arid Region

India’s economy is agro-based and about 69% of the total population depends on it for their livelihood (GoI, 2013). Livestock is the integral component of Indian agriculture since time immemorial. Its contribution to national economy through milk, meat, wool as well as farmyard manure is enormous. India has the largest number of livestock, representing over 17% of the world. Among four important species of livestock, cattle represent over 43% of the population followed by buffaloes (19%), goats (26%) and sheep (10%). The share of livestock reared is highest in marginal followed by small and semi-medium land holders implying that marginal holders and small land holders are playing seminal role in development of livestock sector in country. The productivity of livestock and growth of animal husbandry are closely linked with the biomass and quality of forages. Currently there has been radical change in realising the importance of forages in integrated farming system, crop diversification, watershed management, restoration of degraded lands and climate resilient agriculture. Grasslands represent some 70% of global agricultural land area; unfortunately as much as 35% of the grasslands are degraded. The insufficient fodder availability has adversely affected all the three systems of livestock production. Silvipasture systems is an integrated approach of growing ideal combinations of grasses, legumes and trees for higher land productivity, conserving biodiversity and nutrients and producing forage, timber and firewood from a single unit area on a sustainable basis. The trees and shrubs used in silvipasture are used primarily to produce fodder for livestock. Looking at the enormous production potential of the slivipastoral systems, it is pertinent to introduce these in the arid and semi-arid regions so that large area of wasteland which is not suitable for crop production can be used for of fodder and biomass production. Dev et al. (2014) observed significant impact of participatory silvipastoral intervention and soil conservation measures for forage resource enhancement in western Himalaya. The study aims to present the suitability of silvipastoral systems in detail and advocate the extensive use of silvipasture in semi-arid regions for higher production

Sustaining farm productivity through watershed based participatory balance nutrient management: A case study from Semi-Arid Tropics of central India

Participatory trials on balance nutrients were conducted during 2009–12 in a severely micronutrient deficit semiarid central Indian watershed to promote balance use of nutrients. Application of micronutrient increased groundnut pods plant−1 by 9%, seeds pod−1 by 6% and pod yield by 13% (1132 kg ha−1) compared to control in entry point trials. Similarly, chickpea variety "JG-130" grown with balance fertilizers also recorded 15 and 40% higher grain yield compared to "JG-130" and local chickpea variety, respectively grown with traditional practice. Application of B, Zn and S increased mean groundnut pod yield by 16.8% over control in further up scaling trials. The study on residual effect of balance fertilization indicated that grain yield of succeeding wheat, barley, chickpea and mustard increased by 8.3, 10, 8.8 and 9.2%, respectively. Further, the sustainability index of direct balance fertilization to groundnut was 0.8 and it was 0.76, 0.74, 0.76 and 0.83 in residual effect in succeeding wheat, barley, gram and mustard, respectively. Although nearly 88% farmers were convinced by the impact of micronutrients, but only 9% farmers actually used them in kharif, 2012 and availability of micronutrients emerged as the maj or hurdle in up scaling

Survival, morphological variability, and performance of Opuntia ficus-indica in a semi-arid region of India

Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) can survive extreme environmental condition and is known for its fodder potential in many parts of the world. The morphological diversity of 15 introduced accessions was evaluated at Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The plants were established in 2013. Survival and nutrient status were evaluated after two years. Above-ground plant height, biomass, primary and secondary cladode numbers, primary and secondary cladode lengths and below-ground root length, weight, and surface area measurements were done six years after cladode planting. Yellow San Cono, White Roccapalumba, and Seedless Roccapalumba survived 100%. The discriminant traits according to principal component analysis were: primary cladodes plant−1 (component loading, 0.87), primary cladodes biomass (0.95), secondary cladodes plant−1 (0.83), canopy width (0.84), and plant biomass (0.92). Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped 15 accessions into two main clusters based on 17 morphological traits. Cluster I showed favorable values for many above- and below-ground morphological traits while Cluster II showed higher performance for root system width, height, and biomass, and primary and secondary cladode numbers. The results indicate that cactus pear accessions have considerable morphological variability and genetic diversity suitable for promotion as alternative fodder resources in semi-arid regions of India

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Farmers' Perception, Adaptation Strategies, their Determinants and Barriers to Climate Change in the Bundelkhand Region of Central India

This study is based on a farm house hold survey (818 households) collected from 4 districts of drought prone region of central India and examines that how farmers perceive the climate change and adaptation strategies adopted over the past few decades. Nearly, 80.9%, 93.6% and 95.2% farmers’ perceived that the average temperature has increased, rainfall has decreased and occurrence of drought is more frequent, respectively during last 25–30 years. A significant decreasing trend was observed in annual rainfall at all the studied locations with a rate of 2.1 to 5.8 mm year–1. In most of the locations both maximum and minimum temperature showed an increasing trend during winter season (July-October) in the range of 0.8 to 1.2 and 0.4–1.5ºC per 100 year, respectively. However, only two locations viz., Jhansi and Banda district showed increasing trend in maximum temperature in the range of 0.8 to 2.3oC per hundred years during rainy season. This study revealed that the perceptions of rural farmers on climate change and variability are consistent with the climate trend analysis. Econometric model suggested a positive influence of age, agriculture experience, educational qualification, size of land holding, adequate access to credit facility and crop insurance, intermittent dry spell and adequate extension services on climate change perceptions and adaptation. The results further revealed that 69.8% respondent have implemented adaptation measures in response to dry spell. Furthermore, analysis showed that agriculture experience, educational qualification and intermittent dry spell and access to extension services are the key factors for adoption of various adaptation strategies particularly, irrigations scheduling, use of high yielding improved varieties, pesticides and change of planting date. Inadequate availability of irrigation resources and frequent drought as well as intermittent dry spells were considered as the most critical barriers for adaptation measures to climate change by farmers

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Not AvailableA study on Dendrocalamus strictus + Sesamum indicum based agroforestry was conducted at ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh), India during 2007 to 2012 to find out the suitability of bamboo based agroforestry system (AFS) in the semi-arid region. Bamboo recorded survival of 62 to 77% (1st year), 86 to 96 (2nd year) and 100% thereafter. D. strictus culm (No.) varied in the range of 178-388 (1st year); 936 to 1439 (2nd year); 1507 to 2134 (3rd year); 2182 to 2901 (4th year) and 2422 to 3215 (5th year, i.e. at harvest stage). Bamboo did not influence the sesame yields during initial two years, however, yield level got reduced during subsequent years. During 5th year intercropped sesame yield got reduced 15.69 (10m × 10m bamboo) and 10.09% (10m × 12m bamboo) as compared to pure crop. Bamboo clump affected the sesame yield substantially and 16.3, 14.3, 7.5 and 0.3% sesame yield reduction was observed at a distance of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0m, respectively, during 5th year. Organic C increased from 3.92 to 6.24 g/kg soil over a period of five years in bamboo based AFS. At harvest stage of bamboo (5th year), highest B:C ratio of 2.83 was observed in 10m×10m bamboo + sesame followed by 2.59 (10m×12m bamboo + sesame) and 1.43 (pure sesame). Therefore, bamboo based AFS has economic and environmental advantages over the sole crop and due to this, the system could be one of best alternative livelihood options for farmers of semi-arid tropics.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableA study on Dendrocalamus strictus + Sesamum indicum based agroforestry was conducted at ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh), India during 2007 to 2012 to find out the suitability of bamboo based agroforestry system (AFS) in the semi-arid region. Bamboo recorded survival of 62 to 77% (1st year), 86 to 96 (2nd year) and 100% thereafter. D. strictus culm (No.) varied in the range of 178-388 (1st year); 936 to 1439 (2nd year); 1507 to 2134 (3rd year); 2182 to 2901 (4th year) and 2422 to 3215 (5th year, i.e. at harvest stage). Bamboo did not influence the sesame yields during initial two years, however, yield level got reduced during subsequent years. During 5th year intercropped sesame yield got reduced 15.69 (10m × 10m bamboo) and 10.09% (10m × 12m bamboo) as compared to pure crop. Bamboo clump affected the sesame yield substantially and 16.3, 14.3, 7.5 and 0.3% sesame yield reduction was observed at a distance of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0m, respectively, during 5th year. Organic C increased from 3.92 to 6.24 g/kg soil over a period of five years in bamboo based AFS. At harvest stage of bamboo (5th year), highest B:C ratio of 2.83 was observed in 10m×10m bamboo + sesame followed by 2.59 (10m×12m bamboo + sesame) and 1.43 (pure sesame). Therefore, bamboo based AFS has economic and environmental advantages over the sole crop and due to this, the system could be one of best alternative livelihood options for farmers of semi-arid tropics.Not Availabl

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Bamboo-based agroforestry system (Dendrocalamus strictus + sesame–chickpea) for enhancing productivity in semi-arid tropics of central India

Bundelkhand region of central India is characterized by erratic rainfall with high frequency of drought. The region has undulating topography, poor groundwater resources and shallow soils with low soil fertility, resulting in frequent crop failures. A study was undertaken to assess the potential of bamboo-based agroforestry system to enhance productivity and economic returns at the research farm of ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh), India, which lies in the Bundelkhand region of central India. The 7-year study (2007–2015) recorded 2906 number of bamboo culms ha−1 at 10 m × 10 m spacing compared to 2409 culms under 12 m × 10 m spacing. Averaged over 3 years (5th, 6th and 7th year), bamboo culm yield from agroforestry (Dendrocalamus strictus + Sesamum indicum–Cicer arietinum)/(bamboo + sesame–chickpea) was higher by 3.20 and 4.96% over sole bamboo in 12 m × 10 m and 10 m × 10 m, respectively. The intercrop productivity started declining from 3rd year onwards, and the extent of reduction in productivity was to the tune of 26.1, 23.7, 24.2, 17.4 and 17.4% during the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th year, respectively. From 5th year onwards, the harvested bamboo culms contributed to the improvement in the system productivity and it was 29 and 236% higher than the sole crops and sole bamboo, respectively, during the 7th year. Financial analysis showed that bamboo-based agroforestry system (bamboo + sesame–chickpea) planted at 12 m × 10m spacing was having high land equivalent ratio (1.95–2.14) and was more profitable than arable cropping and sole bamboo. Therefore, the Dendrocalamus strictus-based agroforestry system can be a potential alternative to arable cropping in semi-arid tropics of central India to enhance productivity and economic returns