Farming System, Definition, Types, Objectives, Needs, Components

Farming Systems are the diverse methods and practices through which crops are cultivated and livestock is raised, shaped by environmental conditions, resource availability, economic needs, and technological advancements. Understanding these is essential for enhancing agricultural productivity, ensuring long-term food security, and addressing the challenges faced by climate change. The article explores in detail the major types of farming systems, such as subsistence, commercial, irrigated, rainfed, and dryland agriculture, along with their key features and significance.

Farming System

Agriculture, or farming, can be understood as a Farming System. The key inputs include seeds, fertilisers, machinery, and labour. The main operations carried out are ploughing, sowing, irrigation, weeding, and harvesting. Finally, the outputs of this system are crops, along with products such as wool, dairy, and poultry.

Farming System Objectives

• Maximising Productivity – To secure higher crop yields and livestock production by optimising the use of available resources such as land, water, and agricultural inputs.
• Sustainability – To ensure long-term soil fertility, water quality, and biodiversity through sustainable practices, enabling continuous farm productivity without exhausting natural resources.
• Economic Viability – To maintain financial stability and profitability by managing resources efficiently, reducing input costs, and diversifying income sources through varied agricultural activities.
• Risk Reduction – To minimise uncertainties like crop failure, climate stress, or market fluctuations by diversifying crops, integrating livestock, and adopting resilient farming practices.
• Environmental Conservation – To safeguard the natural ecosystem by implementing measures that prevent soil erosion, conserve water, and promote biodiversity.

‹ ›

Farming System Types

Farming practices vary based on geographical conditions, market demand, availability of labour, and the level of technological adoption. Broadly, these practices can be categorised into:

• Subsistence Farming
• Commercial Farming
• Irrigated Farming
• Rainfed Agriculture
• Dryland Agriculture

Subsistence Farming or Traditional Agriculture

Subsistence Farming focuses on producing just enough crops and livestock to meet the needs of the farmer’s family, with little or no surplus for sale. Traditionally, it relies on small landholdings, household labour, and minimal technological input, resulting in limited output.

Subsistence Farming Types

Subsistence Farming can be divided into intensive subsistence agriculture and primitive subsistence agriculture.

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

In Intensive Subsistence Agriculture, farmers cultivate small plots of land using simple tools but invest more labour. Fertile soil and a favorable climate allow multiple crops to be grown annually on the same land. This type of farming is common in densely populated areas where land is scarce. High doses of chemical inputs and irrigation are often used to maximize yield. Major crops include rice, wheat, maize, pulses, and oilseeds. Intensive subsistence agriculture is widespread in the monsoon regions of South, Southeast, and East Asia.

Primitive Subsistence Agriculture

Primitive Subsistence Agriculture includes shifting cultivation and nomadic herding. Shifting cultivation is practiced in heavily forested regions such as the Amazon basin, tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and Northeast India. These regions have high rainfall and rapid vegetation regrowth. Farmers clear a plot of land by cutting and burning trees, mixing the ashes into the soil, and planting crops like maize, yam, potatoes, and cassava. Once the soil loses fertility, the land is abandoned, and cultivation shifts to a new area. This method is also known as slash-and-burn farming.

Commercial Farming or Modern Agriculture

In Commercial Farming, crops and livestock are produced primarily for sale in the market rather than personal consumption. This system involves large-scale cultivation, significant capital investment, and extensive use of machinery. The degree of commercialization varies by region. For example, rice is a major commercial crop in Haryana and Punjab, whereas in Odisha, it is largely grown for subsistence purposes.

Commercial Farming Types

1. Commercial Grain Farming – This type focuses on cultivating grains such as wheat and maize primarily for sale. It is common in the temperate grasslands of North America, Europe, and Asia, where sparse populations and vast farms covering hundreds of hectares prevail. Due to harsh winters, the growing season is short, limiting cultivation to a single crop annually.
2. Mixed Farming – Mixed Farming combines crop cultivation (including fodder crops) with livestock rearing. This system diversifies income, efficiently utilises land and labour throughout the year, and is commonly practiced in the northern plains of India.
3. Plantation Farming – Plantation farming involves large-scale cultivation of a single cash crop, such as tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana, or cotton. It requires substantial capital and labour, and the produce is often processed on the farm or nearby factories. Effective transport networks are essential. Major plantations are found in tropical regions worldwide, for example, rubber in Malaysia, coffee in Brazil, and tea in India and Sri Lanka.

Irrigated Farming

Irrigated Farming involves supplying a controlled and regular amount of water to crops to support their growth and improve yields.

Types of Irrigated Farming

• Protective Irrigation – Protective Irrigation is aimed at protecting crops from the adverse effects of soil moisture deficiency. It supplements natural rainfall, ensuring adequate moisture over the largest possible area.
• Productive Irrigation – Productive Irrigation focuses on maximizing crop yield by providing ample water throughout the cropping season. Water input per unit area is higher than in protective irrigation, supporting intensive cultivation and high productivity.

Rainfed Agriculture

Rainfed Agriculture refers to cultivation that relies entirely on monsoon rainfall rather than artificial irrigation. Rain-dependent areas can be broadly classified into:

• Dryland Areas: Receiving less than 750 mm of annual rainfall.
• Rainfed Regions: Receiving more than 750 mm of annual rainfall.

This type of agriculture is practised across diverse soil types and agroclimatic conditions, with rainfall ranging from 400 mm to 1600 mm per year.

Dryland Agriculture

India has a total cropping area of 143 million hectares, of which 113 million hectares have the potential for irrigation, while 30 million hectares depend on rainfed agriculture even if the full irrigation potential is utilised. Currently, around 100 million hectares are actually under irrigation, leaving approximately 43 million hectares under rainfed conditions.

Dryland Agriculture refers to farming in sub-humid to arid regions with limited irrigation and complete reliance on monsoon rainfall. Cropping patterns in these areas typically include coarse grains, millets, oilseeds, pulses, and cotton.

Dryland Agriculture in India Need

India has one-third of its geographical area under humid conditions, while the remaining two-thirds fall under sub-humid or arid zones. Consequently, dryland agriculture occupies a larger portion of land than wet agriculture, supporting 40% of the population and covering 66% of the country’s land. Enhancing productivity in these regions is crucial. Need for Dryland Agriculture in India:

• Employment Generation: It provides livelihood to a significant portion of the rural population.
• Energy Security: Dryland crops like Jatropha can be used to produce biofuels, reducing dependence on petroleum without compromising efficiency.
• Nutrition Security: Crops such as jowar and bajra are highly nutritious, contributing to dietary diversity.
• Desertification Control: Dry farming helps combat land degradation in drought-prone areas.
• Industrial Growth: Integration of dryland agriculture with cottage and rural industries supports forward and backward linkages, promoting rural development and industrialisation.

Farming System Components

The components of a Farming System comprise interrelated activities that collectively enhance the productivity, sustainability, and profitability of a farm. Key components include:

• Crop Production: Cultivation of various crops suited to local climate, soil, and water conditions.
• Livestock Rearing: Raising animals for milk, meat, and other products, while also providing manure to enrich soil fertility.
• Aquaculture: Farming of fish and other aquatic organisms to diversify income and optimise water use.
• Agroforestry: Integration of trees and shrubs into farmland, improving soil health and offering additional resources like timber, fodder, and fruits.
• Horticulture: Cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, complementing main crops and boosting farm income.

Solution to Improve Efficiency and Productivity of Dryland Agriculture

Dryland areas play a vital role in producing pulses, oilseeds, coarse grains, and cotton. Optimising dryland technologies can help bridge the demand-supply gap in pulses and oilseeds, while enhancing farmer’s incomes. The following methods improve the efficiency and productivity of dryland agriculture:

• Water Harvesting – Collecting rainwater where it falls or capturing runoff within villages and towns. Methods include:
  • Harvesting runoff from rooftops and local catchments.
  • Capturing seasonal floodwaters from streams.
  • Conserving water through watershed management.
  • Preventing contamination by maintaining cleanliness in the catchment area.
• Agronomical Practices – Scientific techniques like crop rotation and intercropping help maintain soil fertility and improve yields.
• Soil Preparation – Proper soil preparation is essential before sowing seeds. Key steps include ploughing, levelling, and manuring to replenish nutrients and maintain fertility.
• Organic Farming – Relies on natural inputs instead of synthetic chemicals. Techniques include crop rotation, organic waste recycling, farm manure, rock additives, and use of crop residues to enhance soil fertility and plant health.
• Watershed Management – Effective management of soil and water resources ensures sustainable production. It involves conserving land surface and vegetation, benefiting farmers, communities, and society over the long term.
• Vegetative Barriers – Prevent soil erosion and manage water through:
  • Contour bunds along slopes.
  • Furrow and ridge cultivation.
  • Drip and sprinkler irrigation.
  • Planting horticultural species along contours.
• Ecological Conservation Techniques – Regenerate ecosystems while boosting productivity through no-till farming, multispecies cover crops, strip cropping, terrace cultivation, shelterbelts, and pasture cropping. Benefits include enhanced water retention, soil conservation, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity.
• Use of HYV (Drought-Resistant) Crops – High-yielding, climate-resilient varieties are critical in dryland regions to ensure food security and adapt to changing climatic conditions.

Integrated Farming System

Integrated Farming System (IFS) is an agricultural approach that integrates multiple activities crop cultivation, livestock rearing, aquaculture, agroforestry, and horticulture into a single, cohesive system. The main aim of IFS is to optimise resource use, enhance overall productivity, and ensure sustainability by creating a balanced and self-supporting farm ecosystem. Objectives of Integrated Farming System:

• Resource Optimisation: Efficient use of land, water, labour, and nutrients.
• Income Diversification: Multiple sources of income reduce economic risk for farmers.
• Sustainability: Promotes ecological balance and long-term farm productivity.

Food Security: Ensures consistent production of diverse food products for household and market needs.