Optimizing livelihood and environmental benefits from crop residues in smallholder crop-livestock systems in sub-

Saharan Africa and South Asia: Background on Study Regions in South Asia

Presentation by Nils Teufel, Meera Bhatia and Braja Bandhu for the SLP Crop Residues Project Review and Planning Meeting

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 9-10 Dec 2010

International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), New DelhiInternational Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), New

Delhi

Introduction• Two countries of South Asia (India

and Bangladesh) of Indo-Gangetic region

• Three regions –two from India (Karnal and Udaipur) and one from Bangladesh (Dinajpur)

• Average annual rainfall increases moving west to east from 600mm to 1,500mm.

• Main crops grown are rice and wheat. Others include maize, sugarcane and cotton.

04/12/2023 2SLP_CR Workshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010

A Feelings of study region

04/12/2023 SLP_CR Workshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010 3

Agro-climatic and demographic structure Indicators Karnal Dinajpur Udaipur

Geography North latitude between 29. 500–29.500 25.900 – 26.400 23.460 –2505’East longitude 76.150 – 77.450 88.100–89.200 73.90 –74.350 Altitude [m] 252 41 598

Demographic Density of Population 506 761 196Literacy rate 68% 60% 59%

Economic activitiesCultivators 30% 43% 45%Agricultural labourers 15% 29% 5%

Climate

Temp (max) 450 C 340 C 42.30 CTemp (min) 3 0 C 100 C 2.50 CRainfall 696 2,536 mm 596 mm

Land use pattern

Total area 1,967 Sq Km 3437.98 Sq Km 13,419 Sq Km

Forest land (%) 0.41 1.58 28Permanent pastures and grazing land (%) 3.21 NA 6Land not available for cultivation (%) 5 22.32 34Cropped area (%) 79.58 70 17Cropping intensity 1.98 1.88 1.31 Average landholdings (Ha) 2.37 0.80 1.46

04/12/2023 4SLP_CRWorkshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010

Socio-economic characteristics of sample village across sitesIndicators Karnal Dinajpur Udaipur All sites

Basic Infrastructure

Distance from town (km) 7 5 9 7

Distance from district HQ (km) 36 37 63 45

Distance from inputs market (km) 7 2 8 5.84Distance from output market (km) 9 4 9 7

Distance from AI centre (km) 6 4 9 7

Distance from Vet. Clinic centre (km) 7 4 9 5

Distance from commercial bank (km) 6 4 11 9

Demographic Average households size in a village 388 118 343 290

Farm Category

Average land holding size (owned) (acre) 4 1.3 1.1 2

Average land holding size (cultivated) (acre) 5 1.47 1 2.31Large farms (%) 15 15 15 15Small farms (%) 36 54 71 53

Non-cultivating HHs (%) 49 31 14 32

Large herds (%) 39 14 12 22

Small herds (%) 49 73 67 63

Herd less HHs (%) 12 13 21 15

HHs providing agricultural labourers (%) 55 53 85 64

HHs below poverty line (%) 23 61 80 55

HHs working outside the Village 15 26 71 37

Irrigated land (%) 85 58 5.6 50

04/12/2023 5SLP_CR Workshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010

Crop grown and food habits

• Major crops grown – Karnal – rice, wheat, Sugarcane and

vegetable– Dinajpur – rice, wheat and maize– Udaipur – maize and wheat

• Staple food– Karnal – wheat and rice– Dinajpur – rice– Udaipur – maize

• Water source– Karnal and Dinajpur – Ground water

and surface – Udaipur – ground water

Rice in field in Karnal

• Rice grown in 1st season in Karnal and Dinajpur

Maize field in Udaipur

• Maize grown in 1st Season in Udaipur and 3rd season in Dinajpur

04/12/2023 SLP_CR Workshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010 6

Cultivation practice Indicators Karnal Dinajpur Udaipur

Tractor High Medium Low

Animal Nil Medium High

Combined High Nil Nil

Thresher Low High Medium

Seed drills Low Nil Nil

Fertiliser High High Medium

Manure Low Medium High

Herbicides High low low

Pesticides High High Low

Burning CR Medium

Nil Nil

Combined Harvesting After Harvesting

Burning CR (Rice) Processing of CR through Bhusiripa

04/12/2023 SLP_CR Workshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010 7

CR management

• Karnal– Harvesting –Combined and Manual– CR burn in field– Stall feeding CR– Use for roof construction

• Dinajpur– Harvesting –manual – CR not burn in field– Stall feeding of CR– Use for roof construction

• Udaipur– Harvesting –manual– CR not burn in field– Stall feeding – Grazing own animal

Processing of CR through Bhusiripa

Trading of processed CR

Burning of CR Storage of CR

04/12/2023 SLP_CR Workshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010 8

Use of CR at different stages across sites Sites Karnal Dinajpur Udaipur

Crops Rice wheat Rice Wheat Maize Rice

Type of Harvest Manual Combine Manual Combine Manual Manual Manual Manual Left as mulch (%) 12 37 7 24 26 9 8 3Grazing own animals (%) 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 7Grazing my others (%) 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0Burnt (%) 16 52 0 3 0 0 1 0Sold (%) 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0Given as payment in kind (%)

1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Collected by others for free (%)

0 0 2 3 5 8 0 0

Stall feeding (%) 43 6 81 6 41 0 81 88Used as fuel (%) 2 0 1 0 16 46 0 1Use for roof construction (%)

24 1 3 2 6 19 0 0

Sold from home (%) 2 1 5 6 6 13 1 0

Others (%) 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0

Total (%) 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

04/12/2023 9SLP_CR Workshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010

Feeding strategy• Main Livestock

– Karnal – Buffalo and crossbreed cow– Dinajpur – Local cattle (milking and

draft)– Udaipur – buffalo, local cattle

(milking and draft) and goat

• Main fodder– Karnal – wheat straw and fodder

crops– Grass and dry grass – Dinajpur – rice straw and grass

Carrying green grass for feeding

Chopper for pressing of green fodder

Kept dry grass for feeding from Nov to May

Feeding green fodder in Sept

04/12/2023 10SLP_CR Workshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010

Sources of income Sites Wealthy Medium PoorKarnal Crop , dairy

and regular employment

Crop, dairy and agricultural labour

Agricultural labour, dairy and regular employment

Dinajpur Crop, dairy and poultry

Crop, dairy and self-employment

Agricultural labour, dairy, non-agricultural labour and poultry

Udaipur Remittance, non-agricultural labour and goat

Remittance, non-agricultural labour and goat

Remittance, non-agricultural labour and goat

04/12/2023 SLP_CR Workshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010 12

• Dairy farming is one major source of income for karnal farmers

Dairy farm in Karnal

• Goat farming is one major source of income for Udaipur farmers

Goat farming in Udaipur

• Remittance is the major source of income for Udaipur farmers

Migration from village

to town

Conclusion

Rice-wheat farming system is widely practiced in Indo-Gangetic plains and is characterised by integrated crop-livestock components

Karnal is developed region followed by Dinajpur and Udaipur

Modern technology is higher used in Karnal followed by Dinajpur and Udaipur

Main fodder –wheat straw and fodder crops in Karnal, dry grass in Udaipur and rice straw in Dinajpur

Farmers in karnal do not face much difficulties feeding livestock

Farmers in Udaipur face many problems and also in Dinajpur

Use of particular type of technology in sample villages across sites

Tillage through tractor % Area % HHs % Area % HHs % Area % HHs

Tillage through animals 100 100 92 100 26 37

Use of new seeds NA NA 8 60 74 76

Use of seed drills 44 76 56 91 9 12

Use of herbicides 84 100 32 52 1 3

Use of hand weeding 50 85 100 100 99 100

Use of pesticides 96 100 99 99 5 9

Use of threshers 27 45 87 100 23 21

Use of combines 73 86 NA NA NA NA

Use of choppers NA 87 NA NA NA NA

04/12/2023 15SLP_CR Workshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010

Use of crop output in across sites

Sites Karnal Dinajpur UdaipurCrops Rice Wheat Rice Wheat Maize Rice Wheat Maize

% sold from field 92 81 0 0 43 0 0 0

% payment in kind 0.5 1 0 0 0 0

% HHs consumption 4 13 47 9 5 90 88 90

% Livestock feed 0 2 1 1 5 0 2 1

% sold later 0.5 1 49 88 48 0 1 1

% total sold 93 82 49 88 90 0 1 1

% use for seed 2 1 3 2 0 10 9 8

04/12/2023 16SLP_CR Workshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010

Average of livestock and percentage of households keeping across sites

Sites Karnal Dinajpur Udaipur All sitesNumbers % HHs Numbers % HHs Numbers % HHs Numbers % HHs

Adult indigenous cattle

33 8 271 91 306 46 203 48

Adult cattle crossbred

326 27 5 3 0 0 23 10

Adult buffalo 2050 88 1 0.25 294 22 78 37

Sheep 134 1 29 5 94 12 78 6

Goat 55 3 261 69 465 47 260 40

04/12/2023 17SLP_CR Workshop, ILRI, Addis, 9-10 Dec, 2010