Project Directorate for Farming Systems Research(Indian Council of Agricultural Research)

Modipuram, Meerut-250 110 (U.P.), India

PDFSR at a Glance

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PDFSR at a Glance

VISIONVISIONVISIONVISIONVISION

Sustainable management of farm resources for achieving householdfood, nutritional and livelihood security.

MISSIONMISSIONMISSIONMISSIONMISSION

Improve food, nutritional and livelihood security of small and marginal

farmers through integrated farming systems approach.

APPROAAPPROAAPPROAAPPROAAPPROACHCHCHCHCH

Farming systems in holistic manner with special reference to smalland marginal farmers. Site specific system based resource

management practices for sustained productivity and profitability.

PDFSRPDFSRPDFSRPDFSRPDFSR

Project Directorate for Farming Systems Research

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GENESISGENESISGENESISGENESISGENESIS

The history of Project Directorate for Farming Systems Research(PDFSR) may be traced back to Scheme of ‘Simple Fertilizer Trials onCultivators’ Fields’ which was initiated in 1952-53 by Govt. of India. Afterthree years, ‘Model Agronomic Experiments Scheme’ was also addedto the Project. Both these schemes were merged together in 1968 toformulate ‘All India Coordinated Agronomic Research Project(AICARP)’. During the 7th Five Year Plan the AICARP was elevated tothe level of ‘Project Directorate for Cropping Systems Research(PDCSR)’ with ‘All India Coordinated Research Project on CroppingSystems (AICRP-CS)’ which became functional in March, 1989 with itsheadquarter at Modipuram, Meerut, (U.P.). Further, during 11th Five YearPlan, PDCSR has been renamed as ‘Project Directorate for FarmingSystems Research (PDFSR)’ and AICRP on CS became AICRP onIFS with revised mandate focussed on farming system research.Practically this has come into effect from 23rd February, 2010.

LOCALOCALOCALOCALOCATIONTIONTIONTIONTION

The PDFSR and its research farms are located at Modipuram, 12km away from Meerut city (Uttar Pradesh), on Delhi-Haridwar NationalHighway No. 58, adjacent to 220 KV sub-station of PashchimanchalVidyut Vitaran Nigam Ltd. It is well connected with railways and roadfrom Delhi (75 km) and other parts of the Country. Nearest airport is IGIAirport, New Delhi. Modipuram is situated at 29°4’ N latitude and 77°46’E longitude with an elevation of 237 meters above MSL.

CLIMACLIMACLIMACLIMACLIMATETETETETE

The climate of Modipuram is broadly classified as semi-arid, sub-tropical with very hot summers and cold winters. The hottest months areMay-June, when maximum temperature may sometimes shoot up ashigh as 45-46°C, whereas during December-January, the minimum

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PDFSR at a Glance

temperature may often go below 5°C. The average annual rainfall is862.7 mm, 75-80 per cent of which is received through southwestmonsoons during July to September.

MANDAMANDAMANDAMANDAMANDATETETETETE

� To characterize the existing farming systems to know theproductivity, viability and constraints.

� To develop resource efficient, economically viable and sustainableintegrated farming system modules and models for different farmingsituations.

� To undertake basic and strategic research on productiontechnologies for improving agricultural resource use efficienciesin farming system mode.

� To develop and standardize package of production practices foremerging cropping/ farming concepts and evaluate their long-termsustainability.

� To act as repository of information on all aspects of farming systemsby creating appropriate databases.

� To develop on-farm agro-processing and value addition techniquesto enhance farm income and quality of finished products.

� To undertake on-farm testing, verification and refinement ofsystem-based farm production technologies.

� To develop capacity building of stakeholders in Integrated FarmingSystems through trainings.

Project Directorate for Farming Systems Research

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RESEARCH PROGRAMMESRESEARCH PROGRAMMESRESEARCH PROGRAMMESRESEARCH PROGRAMMESRESEARCH PROGRAMMES

I. Cropping Systems and Resource Management (CSRM)

� To develop crop management practices for enhanced resourceuse efficiency and productivity of cropping/farming systems indifferent agro-climatic zones.

� To identify alternate cropping systems for efficient land use.

� To improve resource use efficiency and soil health for sustainableproduction in different agro-climatic zones.

II. Organic Agriculture Systems (OAS)

� To evaluate different crops/cropping systems for enhancedproductivity and profitability under organic farming.

� To develop and standardize package of production practices foremerging cropping systems under organic farming and evaluatetheir long-term sustainability.

III. Resource Characterization and System Diagnosis (RCSD)

� To characterize existing farming systems to know their productivity,viability and constraints in different agro-ecological zones.

� Creating appropriate database on all aspects of farming systems.

IV. Integrated Farming Systems (IFS)

� To develop resource efficient, economically viable and sustainableintegrated farming system modules and models for different farmingsituations.

V. Technology Transfer and Refinement (TTR)

� To validate and refine system-based crop production technologiesin farmer’s participatory mode in different agro climatic zones.

� To develop human resources in farming system.

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PDFSR at a Glance

VI. AICRP on Integrated Farming Systems

� Coordination

� Coordination of research activities of AICRP on IFS (on station andon-farm), review, monitoring, facilitation, publication of annual reportsand organization of group meets, annual/ biennial workshops andspecial meets.

� On Station studies

� Diversification and intensification of cropping/farming systems

� Long term INM related studies

� Tillage and crop establishment

� Characterization of farming systems

� Development of farming system models

� Climate resiliant cropping/farming systems and managementpractices

� On Farm studies

� Evaluation of farming system models and modules in farmers’participatry mode

� Nutrient response in predominant crops and cropping systems

� On-farm crop diversification issues

� Capacity building through trainings and HRD

� System based FLDs

VII. Network Project on Organic Farming

� Coordination of research activities of Network Project on OrganicFarming (NPOF) including Publication of Annual Reports andorganizing group meetings, annual/ biennial workshops.

Project Directorate for Farming Systems Research

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ORGANOGRAMORGANOGRAMORGANOGRAMORGANOGRAMORGANOGRAM

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PDFSR at a Glance

AICRPAICRPAICRPAICRPAICRP/NWP/NWP/NWP/NWP/NWP

1. All India Coordinated Research Project on Integrated FarmingSystems

Under the aegis of ‘AICRP on Integrated Farming Systems’ on-station research is going on at 25 main centers, 12 sub-centers and 6sub-centers. These centers are engaged in basic and applied researchand are located at SAUs or their Regional Research Stations oragriculture colleges of those general universities, or ICAR Institutes wherestrong agricultural research base is available. Whereas, on-farmresearch is going on at 32 centers. These centers are engaged infarmers’ participatory research mode. On-farm research centers earlierknown as Experiments on Cultivator’s Fields (ECF Centers) are locatedin different agro-climatic zones. These centers are shifted from one zone/farming situation to another zone/ farming situation every 3-4 years. Thelocation of on-farm and on-station centers is depicted in Fig.1.

Fig. 1. On-station and on-farm centers of AIRCP-IFS

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2. Network Project on Organic Farming (NPOF)

Objectives:

� To study the productivity, profitability, sustainability, quality andinput-use-efficiencies of different crops and cropping systemsunder organic farming in different agro-ecological regions.

� To develop efficient crop and soil management options for organicfarming.

� To develop need-based cost-effective new techniques for farm-waste recycling.

Cooperating centers : Bajaura (H.P.), Pantnagar (Uttarakhand),Ludhiana (Punjab), Modipuram (Uttar Pradesh), Bhopal and Jabalpur(M.P.), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Coimbatore (T.N.),Calicut (Kerala), Karjat (Maharashtra), Dharwad (Karnataka),Umiam (Meghalaya). The location of centers is depicted in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2. Centers of Network Project on Organic Farming (NPOF)

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PDFSR at a Glance

THURST AREASTHURST AREASTHURST AREASTHURST AREASTHURST AREAS

� Enhanced productivity and profitability of small holders farmingsystems.

� Nutritional security, gainful employment and sustainable resourceuse in farming system perspective.

� Diversification of major farming/ cropping systems.

� System based conservation agriculture and environmentalprotection.

� Integrated farming systems characterization, development andrefinement.

� Resource-use efficient component technologies and complimentrysystems.

� Climate smart cropping/farming systems.

� Quality improvement and value addition to food chain.

� Organic farming and bio-waste recycling.

� Resource mapping, through remote sensing and GIS.

� Cropping/ farming systems related database management.

� Technology transfer in farming system perspective to differentstakeholders (beneficiaries).

� Capacity building and human resource development related tofarming systems approach.

SALIENT RESEARCHSALIENT RESEARCHSALIENT RESEARCHSALIENT RESEARCHSALIENT RESEARCH

AAAAACHIEVEMENTSCHIEVEMENTSCHIEVEMENTSCHIEVEMENTSCHIEVEMENTS

● Developed on station and on-farm alternative cropping systems forsustainable productivity and profitability for different agro climaticzones of the country with yield potential ranging from 12-34 t ha-1 asrice equivalent yield.

● Based on the information generated over the years, the zone-wiseefficient alternative cropping systems, along with their package ofpractices, were documented in the form of a book entitled, “Efficient

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Alternative Cropping Systems”contributed by all the centres.

● Developed cropping systemsatlas of the country andidentified system basedpotential productivity and yieldgaps in different zonesrevealing a potential gap upto366%.

● System based production technologies were developed with specialreference to, integrated nutrient management (INM), site specificnutrient management (SSNM), precision agriculture, watermanagement and organic agriculture.

● System based tillage management options with focus on RCTs suchas zero tillage, furrow irrigated raised bed (FIRB) planting systemsand laser land leveling having potential of saving up to 80% in labour,cost, energy etc. were identified.

● Concept of bio-intensivecomplimentry cropping systemsusing different land fordiversification of existingsystems across the locationswas introduced which hadadditional return of Rs. 49365ha-1 over existing system alongwith 20-40% water saving andimproved soil health.

● Developed package of practices for integrated nutrient managementfor major cropping systems.

● Developed package(s) and practices of organic farming for selectedcrops and cropping systems.

● Application of recommended dose of NPK through organic orinorganic fertilizer NPK with 50% of N substituted by FYM / cropresidue / green manure to rice and NPK to wheat improved the soilorganic carbon (SOC), particulate organic carbon, microbial

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PDFSR at a Glance

biomass carbon concentration, total SOC stocks and theirsequestration rate.

● Higher crop yields were recorded in long-term substitution of 25-50% N with FYM or green manure in all the major cereal-cerealcropping systems than those under recommended doses of fertilizer-NPK. Among different sources, green manure has been found betterthan FYM and crop residues in rice-rice growing areas, whereas inother regions FYM performed better

● Adoption of recommended scientific packages by farmers throughtransfer of technology, 47% higher productivity was achieved over

existing farmers managementpractices.

● Characterized the existingfarming systems, constraints foropportunities and cost involvedfor upscaling in various agro-climatic/NARP zones.

● Predominant farming systemsin different agro-climatic zoneswere identified. Based on

constraints and opportunities the efficient farming systems modelsand modules are being perfected/tested since 2010-11 for 75 NARPzones through network of on-station and on-farm centres.

● Compared with existing systemcrop based farming systemmodel (1.5 ha) involving crop +livestocks + eco-friendlysubsidiary enterprises couldincrease the profit by 82% onone hand and the livelihoodcould be met out for the familyof 5 members in Western PlainZone of U.P.

Project Directorate for Farming Systems Research

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LINKAGESLINKAGESLINKAGESLINKAGESLINKAGES

Besides collaboration with AICRP-IFS and OFR centres located ina number of ICAR institutes and SAUs, the Directorate has establishedlinkages with several national and international institutions. Importantlinkages are given below :

Organizations/ Nature of Area of collaborationInstitutes collaboration

(a) National

Space Appliaction Center, Research Delineation of cropping systemsAhmedabad through satellte imagery

THDC, Rishikesh Research and On-farm Farming Systemsextension Research

NABARD HRD Training to stakeholders in FS

CRIDA, Hyderabad Research National initiative on ClimateResilient Agriculture

IASRI, New Delhi Research Statistical analysis of AICRP-IFSexperimental data

DOR, Hyderabad Extension Frontline demonstration inoilseeds based cropping system

IIPR, Kanpur Extension Frontline demonstration in pulsebased cropping system

DMR, New Delhi Extension Frontline demonstration in maizebased cropping system

(b) International

ICRISAT Research Simulation approaches formanaging climatic risk (AgMIP)

University of Nabraska Research Global yield gap atlas & waterproductivity

IPNI, Canada, India Research Site-specific nutrientProgramme management