Lecture No.

1-2
Farming system – Definition, scope, classification and
Components
Farming: Farming is a process of harnessing solar energy in the form of
economic plant and animal products. OR
Farming : Farming is integration of farm enterprises such as cropping
systems, animal husbandry, piggery, fishery, poultry, beekeeping, forestry
etc. for optimal utilization of available resources and bringing prosperity to
the farmers.
Farming system : Farming system is a set of agricultural activities
organized into functional unit to harness solar energy profitably while
preserving land productivity and environment quality and maintaining
desirable level of biological diversity and ecological stability.
Concept of Farming System :
To earn profit from different enterprises.
To preserve land productivity.
To preserve environment quality.
To maintain desirable level of biological diversity and ecological stability.
 Objective of Farming System
 To identify existing farming systems in specific area and
assess their relative viability.
 To formulate farming system models involving main and
allied enterprises for different farming situation.
 To ensure optimal utilization and conservation of available
resources and effective recycling of farm residues within
system.
 To maintain sustainable production without damaging
resources environment.
 To raise overall profitability of farm house hold by
complementing main/ allied enterprises with each other.
 Scope of Farming system

Farming enterprices include crops, livestock, piggery, fishery,

poultry, beekeeping, forestry etc. A combination of one or more
enterprises when carefully chosen, planned and executed, gives
greater divided than a single enterprise, especially for small and
marginal farmer.
a. Soil and Climate features of the selected area.
b. Available of resources like land, labor and capital.
c. Present level of utilization of resources.
d. Economics of proposed farming system.
e. Managerial skill of the farmer.
 Classification of Farming Systems
1.Collective Farming System: It includes direct collection of farm products
from non arable land. It may include either regular or irregular harvesting of
uncultivated plants. Hunting and fishing usually go hand in hand with
collection.
2.Cultivation farming: In this system farming community cultivates the land
for growing crops for obtaining maximum production per unit area.
A) On the basis of type of rotation :Rotation means the sequence of these
basic types of land use on a given field. Within arable farming, these is
also a term crop rotation which means short term sequence of arable
crops on one field.
a) Natural fallow system: Describes a situation where cultivation alternates
with an uncultivated fallow.
i. A forest fallow : Comprises woody vegetation with trunks and a closed
canopy in which trees are ecologically dominant
ii. A bush (Thickest) fallow : Comprises dense woody vegetation without
trunks.
iii. A savanna fallow : Comprises a mixture of fire resistant trees and
grasses in which the grasses are ecologically dominant.
iv. A grass fallow : Comprises grasses without woody vegetation.
b) Ley system : In this system several years of arable farming are
fallowed by several years of grasses and legumes utilized for livestocks
production.

i. Unregulated ley : In this system natural vegetation of various

grasses, bushy growth on pasture is allowed to grow during the
period of fallow. This is improperly managed pasture.
ii. Regulated ley system :During the period of fallow certain types
of grasses are grown or planted. These are well managed
pastures with fencing and adopting rotational grazing system.
c) Field system : In this system arable lands and grasslands are
clearly separated from each other.
d) Perennial crop system : Crops that cover the land for many years
are grown. Perennial field crops like sugarcane and sisal, bush
crops like tea and coffee, and tree crops like oil-palm and rubber
are distinguish.
 B) On the basis of intensity of rotation:
a) Shifting cultivation : Because of shifting of fields within a broad area of
wild vegetation many fallow years fallow a short period of cultivation.
‘R” is very small .i.e. < 33
b) Fallow farming : Percentage of area cultivated annually is higher in
relation to the total area available for arable farming. “R” reaches or
exceeds the value 33. R=<66 and >33.
c) Permanent cultivation : When land is cultivated nearly every years or
even more often. R= > 66
d) Multiple cropping : In this system more than one crop is cultivated on the
same piece of land.
If ‘R’ = 150, means 50% area under two crops in a year.
If ‘R’ = 300, means three crops in a year are grown.
 C) According to the water supply

a) Rainfed farming : Farming without irrigation is widely referred to as

rainfed farming or dry farming.
b) Irrigated farming : Water is applied through external sources in
addition to natural sourses.
D) On the basis of cropping pattern and animal activities: The farms are
grouped according to the leading crops and the livestock activities of
the holding. Therefore those farms can be grouped together whose
gross returns (sales + household consumption + changes in stocks) are
similarly constituted e.g. coffee-banana holding, rice-jute holding etc
E) On the basis of Implements used for cultivation :
i. Hoe farming or spade farming
ii. Farming with plough and animal traction
iii. Farming with plough and tractors
F) On the basis of degree of commercialization : Classified into
three groups On the basis of agriculture output
i. Subsistence farming : Where no sale of crop and animal product is
done.
ii. Partly commercialized farming : Where more than 50% of the value of
the produce is for home consumption.
iii. Commercialized farming : Where more than 50% of the produce is for
sale.
G) On the basis of grassland utilization :This system involves the rearing of
animals of economic production. It is classified on the basis of degree
of nomadism.
i. Total namadism : System in which animal owners do not have
permanent place of residence. They do not practice regular
cultivation and their families move with the herds.
ii. Semi-nomadism : Animal owner have a permanent place of residence
near which supplementary cultivation is practiced.
iii. Transhumance : Under this system farmers with a permanent place of
residence send their herd, with herdsmen for long a period of time to
distinct grazing areas.
iv. Partial nomadism : Farmers have permanent residence and who have
herds at their disposal which remain in the vicinity.
v. Stationary animal husbandry : Where the animals remains on the
holding or in the village throughout the entire year.
H) On the basis of size of farm and share of gross income received from
different sources
1. According to the size of farm : a) Small scale farming b) Large scale farming
a) Small scale farming : Farming is done on a small size of holding. Capital and labour risk is
small and the scale of production said to be small.
Advantages:
 intensive cultivation is possible.
 Per unit output is more.
 Loss is less due to natural calamities.
 Farm is easy to manage
Disadvantages :
 More per unit cost of production
 Mechanization is not possible
 No employment through the year
b) Large scale farming : When farming is done on large scale with large amount of capital, labour,
organizations and risk is called as large scale farming . In India 40-50 ha land holding.
Advantages :
 Production is more economical
 Per unit production cost is less
 Mechanization on farm is possible
 Better marketing of agricultural products
 Subsidiary occupations are possible
 Increase bargaining power of farmers
Disadvantages :
 More loss incase of less demand and more production
 More loss incase of labour strike and natural calamities
 Difficult to manage the farm
 2) According to the value of the product or income
a) Specialized farming : The farm on which 50% or more income is received
from a single source. (Crops, livestock, dairy, poultry).
Advantages :
Better use of land, better marketing and better management
Less labour and equipments are needed.
Costly and efficient machinery can be kept
Efficiency and skill is increased.
Disadvantages :
Greater risk, land, labour and capital not fully utilized
By-products cannot be fully utilized due to insufficient livestock
Knowledge of farm enterprises become limited
b) Diversified farming : Farming having several enterprises or source of
income but no source of income equals as much as 50% of the total receipt.
Advantages :
Better use of land, labour and capital.
Farmer get regular income throughout the year
Provides employment throughout the year
Risk of failure of crop due to natural calamities or market price is less
Maintain soil fertility due to crop rotations
c) Mixed farming : Farming in which crop production is combined
with raising of livestock.
Advantages :
More efficient utilization of land, labour and other recourses
By-product of crops are useful feed for livestock
Balance food is available, provides money throughout the year
Maintain soil fertility through manure.
3) According to the land labour and capital investment
Extensive cultivation : When more area is brought under cultivation
to increase the output.
Intensive cultivation : More inputs are used to increase the
production on same land. Land remain fixed , however, inputs are
increase.
4) According to the supply of irrigation:
a) Irrigated farming b) Dry farming
5) According to the nature of produce:
a) Crop farming b) Livestock raising
j) On the basis of type of ownership :
1. Family farming
2. Co-operative farming
i. Co-operative better farming
ii. Co-operative joint farming
iii. Co-operative collective farming
iv. Co-operative tenant farming
3. Institutional farming
4. Capitalistic farming
5. State farming
6. Personal farming
7. Collective farming
8. Corporate farming
1. Family farming: All agriculture operations are carried out by
family members. Management of input and farm is also done by
the family members. The income is distributed by the head of
family as per family need.
2. Co-operative farming : All the members have ownership in the
business. The income is distributed according to their share.
Component of farming system:
1. Crops and Cropping system
2. Dairy
3. Poultry
4. Sheep and Goat
5. Piggery
6. Fish
7. Duck
8. Rabbit
9. Tree to fuel, timber, fodder and fruit
10. Sericulture
11. Apiculture
12. Mushroom
 Factors Affecting Farming
1. CLIMATIC FACTORS
Nearly 50 % of yield is attributed to the influence of climatic factors. The
following are the atmospheric weather variables or elements of weather which
influences crop production.
 Precipitation
 Temperature
 Atmospheric humidity
 Solar radiation
 Wind velocity
 Atmospheric gases
2. human factors:
 labour
 Capital
 Technology
 markets
 government (political)
3. EDAPHIC FACTORS (soil)

Plants grown in land completely depend on soil on which

they grow. The soil factors that affect crop growth are

 Soil moisture
 Soil air
 Soil temperature
 Soil mineral matter
 Soil organic matter
 Soil organisms
 Soil reactions ( Soil PH)
 Lecture No. 5-6
Definition of Cropping system , Cropping pattern, Multiple cropping
systems and its classification, advantages and disadvantages
Cropping pattern : The yearly sequence and spatial arrangement of crops or of
crops and fallow on a given area or proportion of area under various crops at a
point of time in a unit area.
Cropping system : define as the order in which crops are cultivated on a piece
of land over a fixed period. The cropping patterns used on a farm and their
interaction with farm resources, other farm enterprises, and available technology
which determine their make up.
Multiple cropping : It is growing two or more crops on same field in a year. The
intensification of cropping in time and space dimensions. E.g. Jowar-wheat-mung
Classification of Cropping system:
A. Cropping system for dry land and irrigated areas
1. Monoculture : Refers to growing of only one crop on a piece of
land year after year. E.g. Rice after rice, cotton after cotton.
2. Intensive cropping :
i. Multiple cropping
ii. Sequential cropping: Growing two or more crops in sequence on the same piece of
land in a farming year. The succeeding crop is planted after the preceding crop has
been harvested. E.g. Jute after maize, rice-wheat-green gram
a) Double cropping : Growing of two crops the same land in a year in sequence. E.g.
Rice: cotton;
b) Triple cropping : Growing of three crops the same land in a year in sequence. E.g.
Rice: rice: pulses;
c) Quadruple cropping : Growing of four crops the same land in a year in sequence.
iii) Intercropping : Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field, with or
without a row arrangement. Crop intensification is in both time and space dimensions.
E.g. maize + pigeonpea (2:1), Sorghum + pigeonpea (2:1)
a) Parallel cropping : Cultivation of such crops which have different natural habit and
zero competition. E.g. Black gram/ green gram + Maize.
b) Companion cropping : System in which production of both intercrops is equal to that
of its solid planting. e.g. Mustard/ potato/ onion + sugarcane.
c) Multistoried cropping : Growing two or more than two crops of varying height,
rooting pattern, duration on a certain piece of land in any certain period. E.g.
sugarcane + mustard + onion/potato.
(d) Mixed inter cropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously with no
distinct row arrangement. Also referred to as mixed cropping. Ex: Sorghum, pearl
millet and cowpea are mixed and broadcasted in rainfed conditions.

(e) Row intercropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously where one
or more crops are planted in rows. Often simply referred to as intercropping.
Maize + greengram (1:1), Maize + blackgram (1:1), Groundnut + Rredgram (6:1)

(f) Strip intercropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously in strips

wide enough to permit independent cultivation but narrow enough for the crops
to interact agronomically. Ex. Groundnut + redgram (6:4) strip.

(g) Relay intercropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously during the
part of the life cycle of each. A second crop is planted after the first crop has
reached its reproductive stage of growth, but, before it is ready for harvest. Often
simply referred to as relay cropping. Rice- rice fallow pulse.
iv) Mixed cropping : Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same
piece of land without definite row pattern.
i) Mixed crops : Seed of different crops are mixed together and then sown
either in lines or broadcasted.
ii) Companion crops : Seed of different crops are not mixed together but
different crops are sown in different row. E.g. two rows of mustard to
five to eight row of wheat, two row of red gram to three row of green
gram are sown.
iii) Guard crops : The main crop is sown in the center, surrounded by hardy
thorny crop to provide protect to the main crop. e.g. Safflower around
wheat.
iv) Augmenting crops : Sub crops are sown to supplement the yield of main
crop. Sub crops are called as augmenting crops. E.g. Japanese mustard
with berseem.
B . Cropping systems for arable land
i) Alley cropping :It is a system in which food crops are grown in alleys
formed by contour hedge rows of trees or shrubs.
There are three types of alley system:
a) Forage cum food system : Farmers get both food and fodder e.g.
Pigeonpea
b) Forage cum mulch system : It provides fodder as well as mulch. E.g.
Subabul
c) Forage cum pole system : System provides fodder as well as pole. E.g.
Subabul
ii) Ley farming: It is a growing of grass or legumes in rotation with grain crops
as a soil conservation measure.
iii) Agro-Horticulture system : It is a system in which growing of food grain
crops with fruits tree crops.
C) Cropping systems for marginal lands:
i) Pasture management system : : It is a system in which growing pasture
or legumes for soil and water conservation measures and rearing of
domesticated animal.
ii) Tree farming system :
iii) Silvi-pastoral system : A practice of growing multipurpose tree with
pasture and rearing of domesticated animal.