Types of Farming Systems

Introduction

Farming systems are the different ways farmers grow crops and raise animals. These methods depend on things like the local environment, how much money is available, and what kind of technology is used. It’s important to understand these systems because they help us improve how much food we produce, keep our food supply steady, and deal with changes in the climate. In this article, we’ll explore the main types of farming systems, like subsistence farming, commercial farming, irrigated farming, rainfed farming, and dryland farming, as well as other related topics.

About Farming System

• Agriculture or farming can be considered a system. The important inputs are seeds, fertilisers, machinery, and labour.
• Some of the operations involved are:
  • ploughing,
  • sowing,
  • irrigation,
  • weeding, and
  • harvesting.
• The system’s outputs include crops, wool, dairy, and poultry products.

Objectives of Farming System in India

The main goals of a farming system are:

• Maximising Productivity –
  • This means getting the most out of the land and resources like water, seeds, and fertilizers to grow more crops and raise more animals.
• Sustainability –
  • It’s about keeping the soil healthy, the water clean, and protecting plants and animals so that farming can continue for many years without harming nature.
• Economic Viability –
  • The aim is to make sure the farm makes enough money. This involves using resources wisely, cutting unnecessary costs, and earning income from different farming activities.
• Risk Reduction –
  • Farming can be risky due to things like bad weather or changing market prices. So, farmers grow different crops, raise animals, and use flexible methods to reduce these risks.
• Environmental Conservation –
  • This means taking care of nature by using methods that prevent soil loss, save water, and support wildlife and plant diversity.

Types of Farming System in India (In Simple Words)

Based on factors like the region’s geography, what people need to eat, how much labour is available, and the use of technology, farming in India is mainly divided into the following types:

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

Each of these farming types is explained in detail in the next section.

Subsistence Farming or Traditional Agriculture

This type of farming means growing crops and raising animals just enough to feed the farmer’s own family, with nothing extra left for selling or trading.

Usually, it involves small pieces of land, simple tools, and family members working together. The output is generally low due to limited resources and basic methods.

Types of Subsistence Farming

Subsistence farming can be divided into two main types: intensive subsistence farming and primitive subsistence farming.

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

• In this method, a farmer works on a small piece of land using simple tools but a lot of manual labour.
• The climate in such areas often includes plenty of sunshine and fertile soil, which helps farmers grow more than one crop on the same land in a year.
• This type of farming is common where many people live and land is limited.
• To increase the crop yield, farmers use chemical fertilizers and water through irrigation.
• Even though the land is divided into very small parts, farmers still try to get the most out of it since they don’t have any other source of income.
• The main crop grown is rice, and other crops include wheat, maize, pulses, and oilseeds.
• This farming is mostly found in the densely populated monsoon regions of South, Southeast, and East Asia.

Primitive Subsistence Agriculture

• This includes two main methods: shifting cultivation and nomadic herding.
• Shifting cultivation is practiced in deep forest areas like the Amazon basin, tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and Northeast India.
• These regions receive heavy rainfall and plants grow back quickly.
• Farmers clear the land by cutting down and burning trees. The ash is mixed with the soil to help crops grow.
• They usually plant crops like maize, yam, potatoes, and cassava.
• When the soil loses its fertility, the land is left behind and the farmer moves to a new area to start again.
• This method is also called ‘slash and burn’ farming.

Other Names of Shifting Cultivation

International Names

Name	Country
Milpa	Mexico and Central America
Conuco	Venezuela
Roca	Brazil
Masole	Central Africa
Ladang	Indonesia
Ray	Vietnam

In India

Name	State/Region
Bewar or Dahiya	Madhya Pradesh
Podu or Penda	Andhra Pradesh
Pama Dabi or Koman or Bringa	Odisha
Kumari	Western Ghats
Valre or Waltre	South-eastern Rajasthan
Khil	Himalayan Belt
Kuruwa	Jharkhand
Jhumming	North-eastern Region

Commercial Farming or Modern Agriculture

In commercial farming, crops are grown and animals are raised mainly to be sold in the market rather than for personal use.

This type of farming is usually done on a large scale and requires a lot of money. Most of the work is done using machines instead of manual labour.

The level of commercial farming can vary from place to place. For example, rice is grown to sell in the market in Haryana and Punjab, but in Odisha, it’s mostly grown just for family consumption.

Types of Commercial Farming

Commercial farming is divided into the following types:

Commercial Grain Farming

• In this method, grains like wheat and maize are grown to be sold.
• It is commonly practiced in the temperate grasslands of North America, Europe, and Asia.
• These areas have very few people and extremely large farms that can stretch over hundreds of hectares.
• Because winters are very cold, only one crop is grown per year.

Mixed Farming

• Mixed farming is when a farmer grows crops (including crops for animal feed) and also keeps animals on the same farm.
• The idea is to earn money from different sources and to use land and labour efficiently throughout the year.
• This type of farming is very common in the northern plains of India.

Plantation

• Plantation farming is when only one type of crop is grown on a large farm—like tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana, or cotton.
• It needs a lot of workers and a big investment of money.
• The crops are often processed on the farm itself or nearby in a factory.
• That’s why having a good transport system is very important for this kind of farming.
• Examples include:
  • Rubber in Malaysia,
  • Coffee in Brazil,
  • Tea in India and Sri Lanka.

Traditional and Modern Agriculture

Dimensions	Traditional Agriculture	Modern Agriculture
Economic Aims	Primarily self-consumption.	Maximising output per head and minimising production cost.
Technology	Depends on monsoon, natural soil fertility, and environmental conditions.	Strong reliance on technological innovations. Extensive use of fertilisers and pesticides.
Farm Size	Small to medium.	Large.
Cropping System	Diversified cropping system.	Monoculture — single crop grown continuously over many seasons.
Irrigation	Uses flood irrigation, wells, and tube wells.	Uses sprinklers and drip irrigation systems.
Livestock	Pasture-based system for keeping livestock.	Confined, concentrated livestock system.

Irrigated Farming

Irrigated farming means supplying a controlled amount of water to crops on a regular basis to help them grow.

Types of Irrigated Farming

Irrigated farming can be divided into two types based on the purpose of irrigation:

Protective Irrigation

• This type is used to protect crops from damage caused by a lack of soil moisture.
• It helps make up for less rainfall by adding extra water to the crops.
• The main aim is to provide enough moisture to cover as much land as possible, even if not in very large amounts.

Productive Irrigation

• This type ensures that crops get enough water during the growing season to achieve high yields.
• It uses more water per area of land than protective irrigation, aiming for maximum productivity.

Rainfed Agriculture

In farming, different crops are grown depending on how much water is available.

Rainfed agriculture refers to farming areas where crops depend entirely on monsoon rainfall.

These rainfed areas are generally divided into:

• Dryland Areas – These receive less than 750 mm of rain per year.
• Rainfed Regions – These get more than 750 mm of rainfall annually.

Rainfed farming is practiced in different soil types, climate zones, and rainfall levels ranging from 400 mm to 1600 mm per year.

Dryland Agriculture

Out of India’s total 143 million hectares of land under farming:

• 113 million hectares can potentially be irrigated.
• Even with full irrigation capacity, 30 million hectares will still depend on rain.

As of now, around 93 million hectares (recent data shows 100 million hectares) are irrigated.

So, around 43 million hectares are still under rainfed conditions.

Dryland farming is done in areas with less rainfall and limited water resources. These regions depend fully on the monsoon for water.

Crops usually grown here include:

• Coarse grains
• Millets
• Oilseeds
• Pulses
• Cotton

These areas often have poor water systems, little or no irrigation, and face tough farming conditions.

Dryland Crops Grown: Regionwise

Region	Crops Grown
Eastern India	Ragi, Jowar, Bajara
South-Western Uttar Pradesh	Bajara
Vindhya Region	Jowar, Maize, Pulses
Narmada-Tapi Basin	Jowar, Wheat
Deccan Plateau Uplands	Cotton, Jowar
Telangana	Jowar
Non-irrigated Areas of Rayalaseema	Ragi, Groundnut
Plateau Region of Karnataka and TN Uplands	Jowar, Cotton

Need for Dryland Agriculture in India

India has about one-third of its land under humid conditions, while the remaining two-thirds are under sub-humid or arid conditions. This means dryland agriculture covers more area than wet agriculture. It supports around 40% of the population and makes up 66% of the land area. Because of this imbalance, it’s important to improve the productivity of these dry regions.

The need for dryland agriculture in India includes:

• It provides employment to a large portion of people involved in agriculture.
• Dryland crops, like Jatropha, can reduce reliance on petroleum because Jatropha can be used to produce aviation turbine fuel without losing efficiency.
• Dryland crops such as jowar and bajra are more nutritious, which is important for India’s nutrition security.
• Dry farming is crucial in drought-prone areas to help prevent desertification.
• It promotes industrial growth by connecting agriculture and rural development through cottage industries and related activities.

Components of Farming System

A farming system consists of various interconnected activities that work together to improve farm productivity, sustainability, and profitability. These components include:

• Crop production:
  • Growing different types of crops based on the climate, soil, and water available.
• Livestock rearing:
  • Raising animals that provide meat, milk, and other products, and also manure for fertilizing the land.
• Aquaculture:
  • Raising fish or other water-based animals to diversify income and make good use of water resources.
• Agroforestry:
  • Integrating trees and shrubs into farmland to improve soil health and provide extra products like fruits, fodder, and timber.
• Horticulture:
  • Growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers to complement main crops and boost farm income.

Solution to Improve Efficiency and Productivity of Dryland Agriculture

Dryland areas are important for producing pulses, oilseeds, coarse grains, and cotton. Using dryland farming techniques effectively can help meet the demand for pulses and oilseeds and improve farmers’ income. Here are some ways to enhance dryland agriculture:

• Water Harvesting:
  • Collecting rainwater where it falls or capturing runoff within the local area. This also involves keeping the water clean by preventing pollution in catchment areas. Methods include:
    • Capturing rainwater from rooftops
    • Collecting runoff from nearby catchments
    • Harvesting seasonal floodwaters from streams
    • Conserving water through watershed management
• Agronomical Practices:
  • Using scientific methods like crop rotation and intercropping to improve soil health and yields.
• Soil Preparation:
  • Preparing the soil before and after planting is essential since no soil is naturally perfect. This includes ploughing, levelling, and adding manure to restore nutrients that may be lost after continuous farming.
• Organic Farming:
  • Avoiding synthetic chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. Instead, it uses crop rotation, organic waste recycling, farm manure, rock additives, and crop residues to nourish plants naturally.
• Watershed Management:
  • Conserving soil and water resources by managing land and vegetation to ensure sustainable farming. This benefits not only farmers but also communities and society in the long run.
• Vegetative Barriers:
  • Preventing soil erosion by:
    • Building contour bunds along slopes
    • Using furrow and ridge cultivation across slopes
    • Managing irrigation with drip and sprinkler systems
    • Planting horticultural species along contour bunds
• Ecological Conservation Techniques:
  • Using farming methods that help restore ecosystems, such as preventing soil erosion, improving water retention, capturing carbon in the soil, and increasing biodiversity. Examples include no-till farming, cover crops, strip cropping, terrace cultivation, shelterbelts, and pasture cropping.
• Use of HYV (High-Yielding Varieties) Crops:
  • Growing drought-resistant, improved crop varieties to secure food production, especially in areas affected by climate change.

Integrated Farming System

The Integrated Farming System (IFS) is a farming approach that combines crop cultivation, livestock rearing, aquaculture, agroforestry, and horticulture into one balanced system. The goal is to use resources efficiently, boost productivity, maintain sustainability, and ensure food security.

Objectives of Integrated Farming System:

• Resource Optimization
• Income Diversification
• Sustainability
• Food Security

Nomadic Herding

Nomadic herding is practiced in semi-arid and arid areas such as the Sahara, Central Asia, and parts of India like Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh. In this system, herders move their animals from one place to another in search of fodder and water along specific routes. In Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, this movement is known as transhumance, which adapts to the climate and terrain.

Common animals raised include sheep, camels, yaks, and goats, which provide milk, meat, wool, hides, and other products for the herders and their families.

Conclusion

Farming today includes a wide range of systems—from traditional, self-sufficient methods to high-tech, large-scale commercial approaches. Subsistence farming focuses on meeting the basic needs of families using age-old techniques, while commercial farming uses modern tools and investments to supply the market. Water management is also key, irrigated and rainfed farming methods help deal with different levels of water availability, and dryland farming plays a vital role in arid and semi-arid regions. By understanding the unique challenges and benefits of each system, we can take meaningful steps to make agriculture more efficient, sustainable, and resilient for the future.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is Integrated Farming System?
The Integrated Farming System (IFS) is a method of farming where different activities like growing crops, raising animals, fish farming, and planting trees are all done together on the same farm to make better use of resources and increase income.

2. What do you mean by Farming System?
A farming system is the way a farmer organises and manages different farming activities—like growing crops and keeping animals, on a piece of land to produce food and other agricultural products.

3. What is Wetland Farming?
Wetland farming means growing crops in areas that are naturally wet, such as marshes, swamps, or land near rivers that often flood. These areas stay moist and are suitable for certain types of crops.