Farm Pond Technology

About 20% of the farm area is converted into on-farm reservoir to harvest excess rainwater. The dug-out soil is used to raise the land to form high and medium land situations besides the original low land situation in the farm for growing multiple and diversified crops throughout the year instead of mono-cropping with rice in Kharif season. The pond is used for rainwater harvesting, irrigation and pisciculture. Poultry/ livestock farming can also be practiced in the farm along with crops and fishes with the use of pond water. The high land free from waterlogging in kharif with less salinity build up in dry seasons and thus can be used for multi and diversified crop cultivation throughout the year. Simultaneous cultivation of rice and azolla is recommended for higher crop yield. The Performance results with respect to efficiency, sustainability are: Storage rainwater can be used to irrigate 80 % of farm land Improvement of surface drainage (about 75%), Scope for cultivating crops in rabi/summer season under salt affected soils, Multi-cropping with crops, fishes and or livestock, less risk of single crop failure and better soil health. The likely cost of intervention is about Rs. 99,000 per ha for soil excavation. The coastal agriculture is less profitable due to degraded (saline) soil and water quality, mono-cropping with traditional rice in kharif and scarcity of good quality irrigation water. The farm pond technology provides the scope for practicing diversified cropping round the year and integrated farming, creating irrigation facility, reducing salinity and improving drainage condition. Thereby, this technology enhances the livelihood security by increasing farm income and employment generation. Integrated agriculture-aquaculture farming with diversified crops on monocropped land through farm pond technology is beneficial.