Climate Resilient Participatory Farming System Design for Sustainability and Livelihood Security in Cauvery Delta of Tamil Nadu, India

By : Kathiresan Ramanathan

Page No: 55-63

Abstract
Integrated fish polyculture and poultry rearing, directly in the transplanted rice fields, through the Annamalai Rice + Fish + Poultry design was upscaled for participatory on-farm research. This model was adopted in 200 m2 area of individual holdings by 300 wetland rice farmers in Tamil Nadu. Three model clusters, each comprising three villages with 100 farmers were formed in Tamil Nadu. The results proved that the livelihoods of farmers increased by 80 per cent (INR 25,516). On an average, manurial addition by poultry to rice was around 8 tonnes/ha/season displacing the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Additional employment generation was 219 mandays/ year. A total of 5,46,500 kg of broiler meat and 1,67,500 kg of fish were produced from these clusters in a three year duration. The average rice productivity for the 300 farm holdings from three districts increased by 9.38 percent.

Author :
Kathiresan Ramanathan
Professor of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Chidambaram.

 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/PROD.2021.62.01.6