Farming Practices and Agriculture Land Use

Farming Practices & Agriculture Land Use

The word agriculture is derived from two latin words ‘ager’ meaning land and ‘culture’ meaning cultivation. Thus, agriculture means cultivation of land.

The industries, which get their raw materials from agriculture, are known as Agro-Based Industries.

1. Commercial farming: The type of farming in which crops or animals are grown or reared for sale in order to earn money.
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3. Subsistence farming: The type of farming in which crops are grown for self-consumption and no surplus for sale.

The subsistence farming has been replaced by commercial farming to some extend-

1. There has been increase in the horticulture crops like apple, orange, potato etc over the years.
2. The livestock production farms such as poultry, dairy farming etc have increased considerably
3. Many processing units like Agro-processing units were established in the country.

New technology have adopted by the Bhutanese farmers in farming system

1. High yielding varieties of crops and animals
2. Use of high quality seeds
3. Use of fertilizers and chemicals for controlling insects pest and diseases
4. Health care for animals

Types of Plants

Medicinal plants: Yartsa Guenboop and Jatig

Aromatic Plants: Pangpoi and Lemon Grass

Farming System: is managing the farm resources in a profitable and sustainable way under the given conditions by a farm household.

Subsistence oriented mixed farming is prevalent farming system in Bhutan

Components of mixed farming

1. Cultivation of crops
2. Rearing of animals
3. Use of forest resources

The drawbacks of mixed farming:

i. The cattle population may increase considerably in future placing greater demand on forest resources. So, in future there is a possibility of losing forest resources.

ii. Many farmers may turn to monoculture in future to increase yields. Farmers need to spend large sum of money on fertilizers which can harm the structure of soil.

Production Systems

1. Pastoral production system
2. Forest production system
3. Wet land production system
4. Dry land production system
5. Orchard/plantation production system
6. Tseri production system

i. Pastoral Production System: are those where rearing of livestock predominates with huge area under pasture. Crop grown in this system are Barley, millet and Buckwheat.

ii. Forest Production System: are those which contribute fodder to animals and provides fuel and timber.

iii. Wet Land Production System: are those where the land remains flooded for most part of the growing season. (Rice)

iv. Dry Land Production System: are those lands that are rain fed or irrigated, but does not remain flooded. (Maize and potato)

v. Orchard production system: are those land where horticulture crops like apple, cardamom etc are grown as a source of cash income. (Apple and vegetable)

vi. Tseri Production System: it is the system of clearing and burning bushes to grow crops. (Maize and Lemon grass).

Agro-ecological zones

1. Alpine
2. Cool temperate zone
3. Warm temperate zone
4. Dry sub-tropical zone
5. Humid sub-tropical zone
6. Wet sub-tropical zone

Cropping Pattern

The cultivation of crop in time and space is called cropping pattern.

The cultivation of crop in time means the growing of more than one crop in a particular land at one particular year or one crop following another spread of time. For eg., growing vegetables after harvesting rice. The cultivation of crop in space means growing of one crop over a given area.

The main cropping pattern prevalent in Bhutan

1. Rice Based cropping pattern
2. Maize based cropping pattern.

Farming Practices

Farming practices means the various type of farming practiced (Commercial or subsistence) involving the use of land, water, soil, seeds, fertilizers etc to increase production.

Types of farming practices

1. Livestock farming
2. Organic farming
3. Conventional crop
4. Aquaculture

Difference between Traditional and Modern Farming Practices

Traditional Farming Practices	Modern Farming Practices
Traditional seeds are used	High yielding varieties of seeds are used
Land is prepared using animals	Land is prepared mechanically
Harvesting is done manually	Harvesting is done using machines

Transhumance: The seasonal transfer of livestock between mountain and lowland pasture is called transhumance.

Disadvantages of mixed farming in the long run

i. The cattle population may increase considerably in future placing greater demand on forest resources. Therefore, in the long run there is possibility of losing forest resources.

ii. Many farmers may turn to monoculture in future to increase yields. Farmers need to spend large sum of money on fertilizers which can do harm the structure of the soil.

Co-operative marketing service

A co-operative marketing service is an organization within the village community which takes responsibility for selling of the local products in the market.

A co-operative service collects the small quantity products from farmers and transports them to the market in bulk. This saves the travelling cost for farmers and at the same time, the farmers can get higher prices for their produce as no middle dealers are involved.

Challenge to Farming

Socio-Cultural Limitation

1. Level of Literacy
2. The subsistence nature of farming
3. The inheritance system with regard to land

Technological Limitations

1. Options available to farmers in various eco-zones
2. Adoption of technological packages
3. Pest causing damage and losses

Institutional Limitations

1. Availability and Access to Agriculture inputs
2. Access to Market for the surplus produce

Farm Labour Issue-Rural to Urban Migration

Limited Environmental awareness amongst the farming community-Man-man disasters

The ways to improve production of crops in Bhutan are:

1. Use quality seeds and fertilizers
2. Adopt high yielding technology
3. Management of insects, pests, disease and weeds
4. Use of high yielding varieties