Horti-pasture for nutritional security and economic stability in rainfed area

Hortipastoral system, integration of fruit trees with pasture (grasses and or legumes) is one of the best and economic alter native systems for rainfed area. It supplied the protective food (fruit) for human being and fodder for animal and thus helps in bridging the wide gap between the supply and demand of fruit and fodder and secured nutrition and improved livelihood. A number of experiments on different fruits viz., Ber, Kinnow (under drip irrigation), custard apple, Aonla, Guava, Tamarind and Bael based hortipastoral systems on different aspects have been conducted in phase manner since, last two decades (1990–2010). The production potential of system ranged as 7–15 t/ha fruit, 3–8 t/DM forage and 4–5 t/ha fuel wood from pruned biomass, besides soil improvement, soil erosion. It gave higher Cost: Benefit ratio (1:3.7–6.24) and generates more employment (64.9 mandays/year) opportunities than normal cropping system of rainfed farmers