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Integrated farming systems (IFS) for climate change adaptation in tropical

Island ecosystem of Andaman & Nicobar

Conference Paper · April 2015

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 Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) for climate change adaptation in Tropical Island ecosystem
of Andaman & Nicobar

B. Gangaiah, S. Dam Roy, T.P. Swarnam, T. Subramani, A. Velumurugan, and S. Swain

Division of Natural Resource Management, Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port
Blair- 744 101, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

E mail: [email protected]

Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India is spread over 0.825 million hectares

of geographical area in the Bay of Bengal, and is inhabited by 0.38 million population (2011 census)

in addition to 0.195 million tourists (including 0.0145 m foreign tourists) in 2010-11

(www.tourism.gov.in/writereaddata/CMSPagePicture/file/.../new/AN.) visiting mostly during non-

rainy season. In these islands, agriculture started with the settlements made by British rulers and thus

is of about 150 years old. The area under agriculture is about 0.05 million ha is dominated by coconut,

rice and areca nut (accounting for over 2/3 of total area) provides livelihood to 21,330 cultivators

directly in 2012-13. Though the contribution of primary sector (that includes agriculture) to the total

GDP of Islands (US $ 810 million in 2010) is low (17% only), its contribution in terms of providing

gainful employment to rural populace, food and nutritional security and generation of exportable

commodities (coconut, areca nut, spice products, etc.) is noteworthy. Island agriculture is distinctly

identified by the cultivation of plantation crops (coconut, areca nut, spices, and fruit crops) on large

scale (especially Nicobar islands that to with use of little external inputs). In North and Middle

Andaman districts, invariably paddy is cultivated in kharif season due to high rain fall that is

succeeded by vegetables / pulses etc under conserved moisture or with protective irrigation. Despite

heavy rain fall (>300 cm rain fall), crops do experience moisture stress during winter & summer

seasons. The skewed water supplies limit the integration of productive breeds of livestock and

fisheries etc. into the cropping systems. Further, the acidic soils (Entisols, Inceptisols, and Alfisols) of

poor fertility are used for farming with little or no external inputs (fertilizers & amendments and

pesticides etc) application results in low productivity. This low or no external input use in agriculture

opens avenue for organic farming, however, at present; certification is lacking and thus is under

exploited. In general, the production of islands in most of agricultural commodities is far behind the

demand, making it inevitable to fill this demand-supply gap through shipments from main land at an
exorbitant cost and human effort especially in case of fruits and vegetables. However, there is surplus

production of coconut and areca nut that offers immense scope for export to mainland as well as to the

outside world. Thus the objective of island farming is to ensure livelihood security (nutritional and

income) to the farmers and farm labourers. The global warming in light of tremendous increase in

green house gases (GHG) production is posing a serious threat to sustaining the current levels of

agricultural (crops, livestock, fisheries etc.) production. It is well known that the productivity of an

organism (plant, animal, fish etc.) is product of genotype and the environment (climate). The climate

(both above and below ground environment) in which the organisms are growing is changing

gradually but continuously, hence the productivity is in flux. Though the contribution of island

agriculture to global warming is minimal, the impacts are distinctly seen, hence farming should be

geared up to overcome the adverse impacts of climate change so as to ensure livelihood security to all

the stakeholders of farming.

Climate change – Andaman & Nicobar Islands

The changes in climate at the country level are manifested in upward moving atmospheric

temperatures (the increase in minimum temperatures being higher than maximum temperature) and

that have not only shortened the crop life cycles, but also lowering their productivity in light of altered

water cycles (soil moisture dynamics, evapo-transpiration, run off etc) and pest and nutrient

dynamics. The changes in water cycle are brought by changes in the number of rainy days, weekly

and monthly rainfall distribution and total quantity of rain received. There has been increased

incidences of untimely rains (in Punjab and Rajasthan in rabi 2014 season), frequent cyclones (Phylin

in 2013, Hudhud in 2014 etc,) floods (J & K, Uttarakhand states) and drought at the national level.

In tune with the climate changes experienced at the country level, Andaman & Nicobar

Islands too is experiencing changes in climate. For example in the last decade, the mean temperature

of Port Blair (A & N Administration, 2013) has increased by over 0.60C (Fig 1a) and there are wide

fluctuations in maximum temperature (Figure 1b) year to year. In case of rainfall, fluctuations in

annual rain fall (388.8, 346.5 and 340.5 cm rain fall in 2011, 2012 and 2013) with a distinct decline in

winter season rainfall are noticed in recent times at Port Blair in addition to significant variations in

mean monthly rainfall (Figure 1c). In general, the onset of monsoon in islands is delayed by one week
and so is in the country. The above changes in thermo-hydrological cycles are creating enormous

constraints to the rain fed farming systems of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The unstable / reduced

agricultural production is threatening the food security, export potential and thus rural livelihoods. In

wake of this, the concept of Integrated Farming System (IFS) which emphasize the judicious use of

available resources with appropriate combination of enterprises available with farmers have been

gaining acceptance, moving away from a more sectoral and inputs-driven approach. Such approach

not only ensures improved economic gain but also brings social upliftment along with environmental

sustainability.

28.0
27.95
27.9
27.8 27.75
27.7 y = 0.0626x + 26.908
R² = 0.5569 27.60
27.6
27.5 27.40 27.55 27.55
27.4 27.35

27.3
27.30
27.2
27.1 27.05 27.05
27.10
27.0 27.00
2001

2002

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2004

2005

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2011

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2013

Figure 1a. Mean temperature (0C) variations at Port Blair during 2001-2013 with trend line.

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34 2011 2012 2013

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Figure 1b. Maximum temperature (0C) variations at Port Blair during 2011-2013.
 1000
900 2011 2012 2013
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Figure 1c. Monthly rainfall (mm) variations at Port Blair during 2011-2013.

Integrated Farming System (IFS)

The International Organization of Biological Control (IOBC) describes Integrated Farming

System (IFS) as a farming system where high quality food, feed, fibre and renewable energy are

produced by using resources such as soil, water, air and nature as well as regulating factors to farm

sustainably and with as little polluting inputs as possible. In Andaman & Nicobar Islands, various

small holder IFS systems have been evolved around plantation (mainly coconut, other plantations

include areca nut, fruit trees, spices etc) in Nicobar Islands and paddy (suitable for North and Middle

Andaman) crops. In plantation (pig) and in rice based FS (milch animals) are integrated with back

yard poultry and fisheries components (in addition to vermicompost, mushroom, apiary etc. units)

have been developed for ensuring better and continuous improvements in farm livelihoods i.e. more

income, enhanced employment opportunities. These IFS evolved over experiences of farmers,

researchers inherently have mechanisms that add to climate change adaptation capabilities of farm

mainly through addressing the soil related constraints i.e. fluctuating water supplies and depleting soil

fertility. The climate change adaptation capabilities that arise from adoption of IFS systems are

discussed below.

Resource use complementarities - IFS

Land (soil), the prime resource of farming supports life by anchoring crop roots, supplying

nutrients that are regulated by soil water storage properties. Rainfall another important natural
resource forms an asset to farming when effectively stored on soil surface (reservoirs, lakes, ponds

etc.), in soil rhizosphere (soil moisture), and in deep earth (soil) profiles (ground water).

The major vulnerability of Islands FS in era of changing climate is seen on water supply front

as quality water supplies to farm enterprises, especially to livestock, poultry, pig etc. (at least for

drinking purposes) year round and fisheries (for habitat creation in ponds) seasonally or year round

are must for the integration of the improved livestock (fish) breeds into FS. As water supplies are

fixed for a location, conservation of water, bringing complementary and multiple uses to the water

supplies of a locality are the only means through which water efficiencies can be brought in. It is

unusual to note that A & N Islands with annual rainfall exceeding 300 cm, experiences water

shortages during post rainy season (November-April) farming. In plantation based systems like

coconut, the productivity reaches the lowest level in post rainy season due to moisture stress and thus

the system water productivities remain low. Adoption of IFS (integration of coconut + fodder

cultivation to support livestock) brings in enormous improvements in water productivity as compared

to coconut or livestock farming alone. It has been found that fodder and or feed production (through

evapo-transpiration) requires 75 times (Singh et al., 2004) more water as compared to livestock

drinking requirements (0.14 litres / day / kg body weight by tropical livestock). Thus in an IFS of crop

(Rice or coconut + grasses) and livestock, the fodder / feed requirements are met from crop residues

(rice) / crop products (coconut copra for pigs) and fodder produced from the same piece of land. Thus

production of the crop (coconuts, rice) and livestock (milk, meat etc) production are produced from

same water supplies. Further, the livestock shed washings (water impregnated urine and dung) in IFS

when diverted into farm, adds to water supplies. Further, water stored in farm pond meets the

livestock / pig / servicing and drinking water functions. The livestock spends enormous energy in

acquiring drinking water. Thus in IFS the wasteful spending of energy by livestock in acquiring water

is removed. The savings in water search energy by livestock feeding on biomass produced in IFS (by

grazing or stall feeding) further enhances the livestock productivity. The organic matter added to the

soil through livestock manure improves the soil water storage capacity. Studies have indicated that the

increases in soil organic carbon (SOC) adds to water storages for example, in plough layer of soil (30

cm depth) having a bulk density of 1.2 g/cm3, every 1% increase in SOC, increases water storage by
144,000 litres/ha (Morris, 2004). Though such improvements are possible in conservation agriculture

(including organic farming like the case of coconut in Nicobar Islands), the small increases attained in

crop + livestock IFS too contributes to additional water storages in the soil. Thus the multiple uses of

water by crop and livestock improves both components productivity with constant water budget and

thus water productivities of IFS are many times that of sole enterprises. Integration of fish in rain fed

rice fields (Brahmanand and Ghosh, 2014) or in seasonally waterlogged fields through broad bed and

furrow (Sarma et al., 2010) or in farm ponds of crop + fodder (livestock) systems adds additional

enterprise to FS while using excess waters or conserved waters and further adds to enhancements in

the water productivity. Fish pond silt (with poultry or duckery unit on top of pond) removed at regular

intervals for maintaining pond water storage is rich in organic matter when applied to farm results in

increase in soil water storage. Thus the fluctuating water supplies are efficiently captured and used in

IFS and thus become an important adaptation strategy for climate change impacts on farming.

Animal manure and urine rich in several nutrients (N, P and K) whose application to farm

lands add organic matter of the soil that aids in soil aggregation, improved cation exchange capacity

and thus helps in maintaining soil structure and fertility. Assuming 1 ton manure (dry) production per

year per animal, and an effective availability of 15 per cent of the nutrients in the case of stall fed

animals, the amount of nutrients added works out to about 8 kg N and 6 kg P. In low fertilizer

(Andaman) and no fertilizer (Nicobar Islands) production systems, integration of livestock component

comes handy in soil fertility management. Soil erosion, a severe menace in sloping lands that is more

so in poorly managed sloping terraces under crops and degraded rangelands. In well managed tree +

pasture lands, soil erosion losses are minimized to the lowest possible level. The crop rotations with

forage grasses / + legumes and trees by exploring different layers of soil, recycles the nutrients from

deeper layers through litter fall and biological nitrogen fixation and thus improves soil fertility as

compared to fallow land or trees alone systems. In rice-fish system, fish pond silt recycling or fish

excreta contribute nutrition requirements of crops.

When fodders grown in coconut or on rice field or fish pond bunds are frequently harvested

or grazing for / by livestock, seed production by weeds is excluded thus weed seed multiplication and

their spread in farm are minimized in IFS. In rain fed lowland rice - fish IFS, rice weeds become feed
for fish. Further the increased water turbidity with fish rearing results in unfavourable environment for

weed germination and growth. The high water depth maintained for fish rearing purpose also curtails

many weeds ability to survive (except aquatic weeds). Studies with common carp rearing in rain fed

low land rice effectively controlled many aquatic weeds (Patra and Sannibabu, 1997). Thus better

weed management also adds to higher component yields and reduced wastage of water by weeds and

thus higher water productivity are attained at FS level.

The effective capture of moisture and recycling of farm by-products through IFS approach,

the sediment load (run off water containing pesticides, fertilizers etc.) disposed into fragile coastal

ecosystems i.e. into mangroves and sea coasts of Andaman & Nicobar Islands is reduced. Thus the

capabilities of mangroves to protect island coasts and ecosystems from degradation are protected.

Socio-economic indicators – IFS

Farming as an avocation is becoming least preferred in society owing to the rapid socio-

economic changes brought by the improved employment opportunities (manufacturing and service

sectors) and urbanization. It is increasingly becoming difficult to retain youth in farming sector unless

year round employment and incomes equivalent to other competing sector. Unless the image of

farming is improved, many farmers are eager to quit, for example in many places it has become

virtually impossible to get a girl to marry a boy engaged in farming. On the contrary, a rickshaw

puller or even a low salaried employee (clerk) is easily getting brides for marriage. Same is the case

with farm labourers.

Studies on rice based IFS (milch animal, poultry, fish) RBFS, have indicated 53% increase in

employment at farm gate as compared to improved rice based cropping system, RBCS (225 man

days) and also net income by 23% (Rs. 3.58 lakh in RBCS as against 4.41 lakh of RBFS) at Port Blair

(Ravishankar et al., 2006). For seasonally waterlogged soils in which rice is grown with poor yields,

broad bed and furrow (BBF) farming system integrating paddy with various vegetables, fish has been

developed with substantial gain in employment and income (Sarma et al., 2010). Livestock

integration into this BBF system may further enhance the benefits. Similarly in coconut based IFS at

Nicobar Islands involving vegetables, in addition to additional employment generation, balanced

nutrition of tribals were achieved (Swarnam et al., 2014). The better human nutrition has multifarious
ramifications i.e. physically and mentally strong human resource development not only for farming

but also the other avocations of the islands. Addition of small scale processing units and cooperative

marketing will further add to employment and income generation of the farm. For income generation

point of view, enormous scope lies for organic farming in Nicobar Islands that however, is less

exploited due to certification constraints and lack of local demand (Islands).

It can be conclusively stated that through adoption of integrated farming system (IFS) in

Andaman & Nicobar Islands the major issues of climate change induced constraints to farming

(fluctuating water supplies and deteriorating soil quality, vagaries in farm income etc) can be

addressed successfully. We have to evolve more and more innovations to IFS so as to continuously

make gains on all fronts. Protective irrigation for crops is one area requiring exploitation. In addition,

to ensuring balanced feed supplies through planned cropping systems, there is need to ensure quality

water supplies for roping in improved breeds of livestock (as they are more vulnerable to diseases

under less health care available in islands) in place of currently used local breeds. In this direction,

CIARI, Port Blair under its ongoing AICRP-IFS and the upcoming flagship programme of the

Institute i.e. integrated agriculture system for Tropical Islands would strive hard to provide acceptable

farming systems in the coming years with inbuilt climate change adaptation capabilities. Though the

coconut based IFS developed at Andaman & Nicobar island to a major extent holds good for

Lakshadweep (that is going to be under CIARI Port Blair purview in coming years), but all together

different agro-ecoenvironment may call for testing these IFS models on small scale locally. In

bringing climate smartness to island farming systems, weather information including its forecasting

capabilities are developed through integrated Agromet Advisory Services (IAAS) of Indian

Meteorological Department (IMD) and AICRP – Agro-meteorology (ICAR-CRIDA) will come

handy. Efforts are also being made to develop suitable weed management options (both for

commercial and organic farms) that will help in curtailing wasteful water and nutrient use by weeds

and thus adds to further enhance the income generation in the IFS.

REFERENCES

A & N Administration. 2013. State Action Plan on Climate Change: Bulwark against falling off the
map (Draft, November, 2013). Andaman and Nicobar Islands, p.177.
 Brahmanand, P.S. and Ghosh, B.C. 2014. Integrated rice-fish cultivation for East India. The Hindu
January, 22, 2014.
Morris, G. D. 2004. Sustaining national water supplies by understanding the dynamic capacity that
humus has to increase soil water-holding capacity. Thesis submitted for Master of Sustainable
Agriculture, University of Sydney, July 2004.
Patra, B.C. and Sannibabu, D.P. 1997. Characterization of Aquatic weeds in coastal rainfed lowlands
(0-50 cm water depth) under dry-seeded rice-fish system. Indian Society of Coastal
Agricultural Research 15(1): 81-86.
Ravishankar, N., Pramanik, S.C., Rai, R.B., Shakila Nawaz., Tapan Kumar Biswas and Nabisat Bibi.
2007. Study on integrated farming system in hilly upland areas of Bay Islands. Indian Journal
of Agronomy 52 (1): 7-10.
Sarma, Kamal., Ravishankar, N., Dam Roy, S., Grinson, G. and Srivastava, R.C. 2010. Prospects of
fish culture in broad bed and furrow system in Andaman. Environment and Ecology 28 (1): 86-
90.
Singh, O., Sharma, A., Singh, R. And Shah, T. 2004. Virtual water trade in dairy economy- Irrigation
water productivity in Gujarat. Economic and Political Weekly 39 (31): 3492-3497.
Swarnam, T.P., Velmurugan, A., Zacharia George, Ravisankar, N., Tulsi Pawan Sai, Dam Roy, S. and
Priyanka Srivastava. 2014. Integrated farming system for sustainable livelihood in Tribal areas
of Nicobar Island, India. Journal of the Andaman Science Association 19(1):19-22.

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