Major farming systems of Pakistan

Mohsin Tanveer, Asad Saeed, Dr. Ehsan Uallah, Dr. Shakeel Ahmad Anjum

Pakistan is one of most blessed country having all four kinds of seasons with plenty of natural resources. Fortunately, agriculture is backbone of this country and more that 70 % population is associated with agriculture and its products. Out of 70 %, 45 % are involved directly in different farming systems. Farming system is a systematic approach and established way of operating a piece of land with given resources. Farming systems consist of several entrepreneurships like cropping systems, poultry, dairy business, fisheries and bee keeping e.t.c . And very marvellous thing about it is, the waste product of one system can be used as input for other one. There are two dimensions lead to the adoption of any farming system:

1) Objective of a farmer: For what purpose, he is adopting this farming system like either for earning or for subsistence basis

2) Availability of resources: Adoption of any farming system depends on availability of resources like arable farming on saline soils need heavy irrigation and if there is less water availability then what benefit will farmer get.

Here are major farming systems of Pakistan

Crop cultivation farming:

Estimated area under this system is 20% of total country area and is practiced by a huge number of farmers in Sindh, Punjab and valleys of KPK and Balochistan. Capital investment is low and is mostly in the form of land, irrigation system, and farm machinery/draft animals etc. Inputs are low to medium and include quality seed, water, fertilizers and pesticides, diesel oil/electricity etc. The characteristic input is extensive use of river water for irrigating crops. Major farm crops are rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane and maize etc. Popular rotations are Rice-wheat and Cotton-wheat etc. Minor farm crops are timber/forage trees, pulses, fodders, oil seeds and vegetables etc.

Fruit tree irrigated farming system (Orchards):

This kind of farming system is practiced by private farmers in patches of variable sizes throughout the plains of Sindh, Punjab and valleys of KPK and Balochistan. Estimated area is 0.6% of total area of the country. However excessive solar radiation, hot desiccating winds, occasional storms and frosts, low rainfall, infertile soils and lack of organic matter in soils are major environmental constraints. Capital investment is low to moderate and is in the form of high quality valuable agriculture land, irrigation system, high quality fruit plants etc. Inputs are low to medium and include quality seed and saplings of most suitable species, irrigation water, fertilizer, pesticides and protection etc. Major crops are citrus, mango, guava, dates, pome grenates, ber, japeni phal, banana, papeeta, loquat, apricot, pears, peaches, almonds, walnuts, plums, and grapes etc. Minor crops are wheat, fodders, vegetables and timber trees etc.

Timber tree irrigated farming system:

This is adopted by the state on few large patches of land scattered in the plains of Sindh and Punjab. Estimated area under cultivation is about 1%. Major crops are Dalbergia (shisham), Acacia (kiker), Prospopis (jand), Albizzia (siris), Morus, Melia (bakin), Eucalyptus (safaida), populus (poplar) and Bombax (simbal) etc. Minor crops are Leucaena (ipilipil), Zizyphus (ber), Tamarix (farash), Salvdora (van) etc . Low rainfall, high temperatures, desiccating winds, infertile soil and salinity are important environmental constraints. Degree of control over environmental stresses is negligible. Inputs are low and include irrigation water during summer only and seeds/seedlings of suitable species.

Flood irrigation ( Saliable) farming system

It is being practiced on small scale by poor farmers at subsistence level in small pockets along river banks subject to annual inundation and in mountain valleys receiving annual flash floods hill torrents (Northern Balochistan), D.G.Khan, D.I.Khan and Southern KPK. Estimated area is 1% of total area. Irregular floods, low and undependable rainfall, excessive solar radiation, hot desiccating winds, stony/gravelly/light soils, negligible organic matter in soils, infertile soils having low water/nutrient holdings capacities are major environmental constraints.