Vol. 11, Special Issue 2 (2022)

Author(s):
Tsultim Palmo, FA Bahar, Lal Singh, SS Mehdi, MA Bhat, AA Saad, Mohd Salim Mir, Moneesa Bashir, Ummaisa Rehman and Tauseef A Bhat

Abstract:
Small and marginal farmers account for 83 percent of Indian agriculture. As a result, farmers practise subsistence farming with little or no marketable surpluses, resulting in poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition. About 64 percent of India's cultivable land is in the dry land zone, which is characterised by an insecure environment, which can result in low agricultural returns due to drought or flood. Low, unreliable, and uneconomic yields arise from farming on such dry areas, especially on tiny and marginal lands. Alternative land use systems give a more secure approach of stabilising farmers' output and earnings while also offering other complementing options. The need for food, fodder, and fuel is increasing, which may be met by an appropriate land use system. Improving degraded lands by implementing acceptable alternate land use systems can protect soil and water resources, which are essential inputs for increasing agricultural yield.