Special issue of IJA 2025 Increasing Climate Resilience in Rainfed Mango Orchards (Mangifera indica) through Integrated Farming Systems

Abstract

Over a six-year period (2016-2022), field experiments were carried out at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research in Bengaluru to evaluate the effects of a systematic approach on moderating microclimate, enhancing productivity, and  increasing profitability in rainfed mango orchards (Mangifera indica L.). The approach involved rainwater harvesting and recycling, intercropping, resource recycling via vermi-composting, bund cropping with fodder resources, and integration with dairy. The results indicated that intercropping with protective irrigation using water stored in farm pond helped in slight modification in the microclimate.  Among various intercropping systems, mango + brinjal system recorded the highest system productivity (22,468 kg ha^-1), followed by mango + sweet corn (10,864 kg ha^-1) and mango + pigeon pea (7,068 kg ha^-1). Intercropping in rainfed mango orchards yielded net returns of Rs. 1,73,000 ha^-1, significantly higher than Rs. 39,000 ha^-1  for monocropped rainfed mango. Further, integrating two dairy cows with brinjal intercropping, recycling farmyard manure (FYM) back into the mango orchard, and maintaining a vermicompost unit resulted in a mean net return of Rs. 4,96,000 ha^-1year^-1. Continuous intercropping in mango orchards effectively enhanced soil organic carbon and nitrogen levels, particularly with pigeonpea, demonstrating improved soil health. The results of the study clearly demonstrated the modifications in microclimate, improved overall system productivity, economic returns and sustainability through rainfed mango based integrated farming system.