Productivity, profitability and livelihood improvement through integrated farming system for new alluvial zone of West Bengal

A study was conducted during 2008–09 to 2010–11 on farmers’ field utilizing aqua-terrestrial ecosystem situated under new alluvial zone of West Bengal, to find out the productivity and profitability of the integrated farming system especially effective for small and marginal farmers. Experiment comprised 11 enterprises, of which 5 sole system of crops and fishes and 6 treatments of integration of deep-water rice (Oryza sativa L.), underutilized aquatic food crops, water chestnut or singhara (Trapa bispinosa Roxb.) and foxnut or makhana (Euryale ferox Salisb.) and fish variables (mixture of carp and air-breathing live-fishes) under aquatic, ducks (Khaki campbell) in semi-aquatic and vegetables/other perennial tree plantations under arable land was carried out on 1.0 ha area. All the enterprize combinations were productive and profitable than that of sole system either aquatic crop or fishes individually. In these enterprizing combinations it not only led to higher productivity but also generated more income and employment opportunity sustainable for livelihood security including improvement of fertility status of pond-bottom soil. Maximum benefits were obtained from integrated farming system, where foxnut or makhana combined with live fisheries in aquatic including other variables practiced under adjacent arable lands, while lower values exhibited with deep-water rice integrated with carp-fishes. Among the sole system, foxnut or makhana and live fisheries performed better. Besides integration of fishes, duckery was found to be a good alternative farming system, especially for development of women empowerment in the areas.