Journal of Agricultural Engineering

In coastal plains of the Konkan region in Maharashtra, India, agriculture enterprises are at risk due to climate uncertainty, soil salinity in rabi season, less use of fertilizer and seed, and the reluctance of farmers to adopt improved technologies. Rainfed rice is mainly practiced in the region despite the high rainfall occurrence. Thus, there is a scope of rainwater harvesting pond-based integrated farming systems (IFS) for improving agricultural productivity and net return. With the consideration of climate, social acceptability, and various demands, the IFS integrates many farming enterprises, such as crops, livestock, and related activities, into a single farm unit. In this study, different components of rainwater harvesting pond-based IFS have been evaluated to develop a profitable IFS model in two villages (sites) of Raigad district in Maharashtra, India. Furthermore, the study demonstrated alternative use of farm resources to improve farmers’ net returns and ensure their livelihood sustainability. The effects of several combinations of enterprises, like horticulture, poultry, and fishing, on farmers’ overall income have been analyzed, with crop and dairy serving as the basic enterprises in one ha area. The study’s findings showed that rainwater harvesting pond-based farming was profitable with a benefit-cost ratio of 1.99 and 1.67, and net return of Rs. 1,97,920 and Rs. 1,17,985 for first (IFS-1) and second (IFS-2) site, respectively, indicating the potential of rainwater harvesting-based farm ponds in realizing higher net returns. The overall findings showed that rainwater harvesting pond-based IFS may benefit from year-round nutrition, food, employment opportunities and higher net return for resource-poor rural house-holds in coastal region of Maharashtra, India.