Vol. 10, Special Issue 12, Part B (2025)

Author(s): VS Mynavathi, C Jayanthi, D Ravisankar, C Nithya and T Ananthi

Abstract: In a small scale resource-poor farm, modest addition in productivity is no longer sufficient to justify the production enterprise of limited resources. Integrated farming systems with different enterprises pave the way for realizing increased productivity, profitability and sustainability in small farms. Based on this, on farm field experiments were conducted in three farmer’s fields at dryland tracts of Tirupur district for a period of two years to evaluate sustainable silvipastoral farming system. Treatments were five silvipastoral systems viz., Acacia leucophloea + Cenchrus ciliaris, Acacia leucophloea + Cenchrus ciliaris + Stylosanthes hamata, Acacia leucophloea + Cenchrus setigerus + Stylosanthes hamata, Acacia leucophloea + fodder sorghum + Pillipesara and Acacia leucophloea + Cenchrus setigerus + Stylosanthes hamata & fodder sorghum + Pillipesara. One unit of Mecheri sheep of five ewes and one ram and two buffaloes were maintained in each location. Observations on system productivity, profitability, employment and energy budgeting were assessed. Cenchrus setigerus + Stylosanthes hamata & fodder sorghum + Pillipesara system with sheep and buffalo components resulted in higher system productivity of 67660 kg as Cenchrus equivalent yield with higher net return of Rs. 32485/ha/year and benefit cost ratio of 2.58. Similarly, the same system gave higher employment and output energy (261900 MJ) with an energy efficiency of 49.9 per cent.

DOI: 10.22271/veterinary.2025.v10.i12Sb.2847