INTEGRATION OF FISH CULTURE IN HARVESTED RAINWATER FOR LIVLIHOOD SECURITY IN BUNDELKHAND REGION OF MADHYA PRADESH

Climate change in posing a major chellenge for rainfed agriculture. The crops often suffer from inadequate availability of irrigation water due to erratic behaviour of the rainfall. Due to the unavailability of protective irrigation farmers were facing the problem of low productivity from the available resources. Taking in  to consideration farm ponds have been established for warer conservation and water  harvesting during last year 2011-12. In such farm ponds water is available for five to six months. Harvested water is used for ctitical irrigation and remaining untapped resource has been utilized for fish culture. Composite fish culture (species Catla, Rohu, Mrigal and Grass carp @8000 fingerlings/ha) in farm ponds combined with other farm enterprises significantly contributes to the livelihood security of farm families. Study shows that the average productivity of composite fish culture was 1745 kg/ha which was 580 kg/ha higher than productivity of inland fisheries 1165 kg/ha in the district. Therefore, farmers have received 49.78% higher productivity in small ponds by intervention with appropriate technology. With this higher productivity farmers received additional net return of Rs. 80000/ha and generated employment of 58 man days per year. Remained harvested rainwater was used for live saving irrigation in kharif crops soybean and groundnut and pre-irrigation of rabi crops mustard and chick pea. Farmers received 22-25% more yield with extra income of Rs. 5000-10000 /ha in kharif and 1546/ha and 1276/ha yield from chick pea and mustard respectively in rabi season.