Abstract

Indu Shekhar Singh

To improve the productivity of any kind of land, the crop diversification is the need of the time. In order to enhance the land productivity, the lowlands were used to adopt crop diversification technology and integrated farming system. Integrated farming system (IFS) is also in operation at scattered places wherein farmers have been using excreta of livestock and droppings of poultry for fish culture and replenishment of nutrient to the soil which gets exhausted by crops. However, the yield potential of field-based Makhana cultivation was recorded to be higher than the pond-based Makhana (Euryale ferox Salisb.) cultivation under IFS model. This is attributed to the more efficient harvesting of Makhana seed from under the water in the shallow agricultural field system due to lesser depth of water as compared to deep pond-based Makhana cultivation under IFS system. Pertaining to the improvement of soil fertility, the key of success may be rested on the selection of efficient cropping systems and integrated assessment of various cropping systems in the wetland ecology. The major finding is that E.ferox-water chestnut-berseem is found to be the most judicious cropping system pertaining to improvement of soil fertility.