Productivity, profitability and employment generation in integrated farming systems for rainfed vertisols of western zone of Tamil Nadu

A study was conducted at Coimbatore during July 2000 to July 2002 to find out suitable farming system for small and marginal farmers of rainfed vertisols of the western zone of Tamil Nadu. All enterprise combinations tried were profitable compared with conventional practice of cropping alone. The integration of crop (0.80 ha) fertilized with buffalo manure produced on the farm, with pigeon (10 pairs on 0.01 ha), goat (5 + 1 female + male on 0.02 ha), buffalo (2 milking buffaloes + 1 calf on 0.03 ha), agroforestry (0.10 ha) and farm pond (0.04 ha) was found to be the most profitable farming system on a holistic basis. Recycling of resources and residues led to higher productivity, employment and income generation with this enterprise combination. For small and marginal farmers who are short of cash, integration of crop (0.80 ha) with pigeon (10 pairs on 0.01 ha), goat (5 + 1 female + male on 0.05 ha), agroforestry (0.10 ha) and farm pond (0.04 ha) was found to be a good alternative farming system with recycling of composted goat manure to the crop.