Rain water harvesting, agroforestry and goat based intensification for livelihood resilience in drought prone rainfed smallholder farming system – a case for semi-arid tropics

AbstractRainfed areas are the home of millions of resource poor farmers whose livelihood is under continuous threat due to frequent droughts. Assuring double cropping and imparting livelihood resilience to rainfed small holders is a challenge. A study was planned in this direction during 2013–2021 for livelihood resilience and sustainable intensification of rainfed small holder farming systems through rain water harvesting and agroforestry based interventions. The one hectare rainfed farming system model comprising of rain water harvesting farm pond (25 m x 20 m x 2.5 m), less water requiring food crops (groundnut–barley and sorghum–chickpea), agrihorticulture [Ziziphus mauritiana+(Sesamum indicum–Cicer arietinum)], silvipasture (Leucaena leucocephala + Tri-species hybrid grass + Stylosanthes hamata) and boundary plantation (Leucaena leucocephalaandOpuntia ficus-indica) was evaluated at on-station as well as promoted on-farm. The goat rearing potential of the above model was also estimated under intensive and semi-intensive systems. The on-station rainfed farming system module produced 4979 kg ha− 1barley equivalent yield consisting of multiple products like barley, chickpea, groundnut, Indian jujube fruits, sesame, fodder (sorghum, TSH,Stylosanthes, Leucaenadried leaf meal and spine-less fodder cactus cladodes) andGrewiafruits and resulted in 709 US$ year− 1net returns with a benefit cost ratio of 2.1. The carrying capacity of the above model was found to be 9 and 35 goat year− 1under intensive and semi-intensive rearing systems, respectively. The net returns increased by 26 and 89% with the inclusion of goat under intensive (US$ 892) and semi-intensive rearing system (US$ 1340), respectively in the rainfed farming system model. It was evident from the study that inclusion of goat, agroforestry and farm pond for rain water harvesting in the rainfed farming have resulted in higher profitability and resilience to less rainfall and its aberrations. Contrarily, the on-farm observations revealed that farmers could not take winter season crops without rain water harvesting. The rain water harvesting proved to be the key for reducing chances of crop failures due to droughts, ensuring double cropping (cropping intensity up to 200%) and sustainable intensification in rainfed areas. It can be concluded from the present study that intervention of water harvesting, agroforestry and goat in rainfed farming systems could enhance the farm productivity and profitability and impart resilience to the livelihood of rainfed farmers in semi-arid tropics.