The present study addresses the potential of marigold cultivation in terms of income and employment effects in the subtropical region of Jammu. Within the field research, we have surveyed 100 marigold farmers from Jammu and Kathua districts of Jammu Region. The region is of special interest in terms of economic development due to disproportional unemployment rate and high level of poverty. The study finds that marigold cultivation exhibits strong employment and income linkages. Marigold cultivation generates employment opportunities of 124.84 man-days (MD) in a season in comparison to 85.37 MD of rice and 49.58 MDs of wheat. Hence, marigold farming could create more and better-paid rural employment possibilities for peasants and lead to a substantial reduction of the poverty headcount ratios. Furthermore, the Cobb–Douglas production function-based econometric specification shows that farmyard manure (FYM), fertilizers, plant protection, and machine hours have a statistically significant positive effect on marigold yield. The second source of the growth of marigold cultivation is the replacement of subsistence farming with a focus on wheat and rice by marigold farming. We find that this kind of growth does not endanger food security in Jammu and Kathua districts. On the contrary, the growing level of income of the rural population could enhance market demand and a greater willingness to pay for the local agri-food sector and assure a greater level of food security.

The present study examines input use patterns across different rice types in the sub-tropical Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir. Primary data were collected from 360 rice growers across Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts using a multistage random sampling technique. Results revealed that rice cultivation has a strong reliance on chemical fertilizers, with urea application averaging 103-177 kg ha-1, supplemented by DAP (81-144 kg ha-1), MOP (27-53 kg ha-1) and FYM use (3.3-14.0 t ha-1). Nitrogen was mainly applied in basal and one split dose, while second split application was minimal. Marked deviations from recommended doses were recorded. In coarse rice, cent per cent of farmers in Samba applied urea below recommended levels, while in Kathua both under- (65%) and over-application (35%) were observed. In contrast, 73-81 per cent of basmati growers applied excessive nitrogen, and nearly 98-99 per cent over-applied phosphorus. Potassium and zinc showed high variability across districts and rice types. The study highlights a clear nutrient imbalance and a persistent gap between recommended and actual fertilizer practices, emphasizing the need educating farmers to apply for site-specific nutrient management, based on soil testing, and balanced fertilization to enhance productivity and sustainability of rice crop.

Agricultural diversification refers to the shift from the dominance of one crop to production of a number of crops on a farm or in a region, to meet the ever-increasing demand for food. It is crucial for enhancing food security and reducing climate risks, yet small-scale farmers in rain-fed regions face challenges in adopting diversified farming systems. The main objectives of the study were to assess the present status of crops, livestock, integrated crop-livestock diversification in vulnerable and non-vulnerable villages and identify key determinants influencing agricultural diversification. The baseline survey was conducted in 51 villages of Bhalwal block of Jammu district (2016-17) and identified 25 villages as climate-vulnerable villages. In these 25 vulnerable villages, project entitled “Climate Resilient Sustainable Agriculture in Rain-fed Farming Areas of Jammu Region” has been implemented since 2016-17 in the said block. Therefore, for the present study, 300 farmers were selected randomly from the 25 vulnerable villages that are covered under under the said project. For comparison, 100 farmers were selected randomly from the adjoining non-vulnerable villages which were not covered under the said project. The results revealed that non-vulnerable villages exhibited slightly higher crop diversity (0.67) than vulnerable villages (0.63), while livestock diversity was higher in vulnerable villages (0.40) compared to non-vulnerable villages (0.37). Integrated crop-livestock diversification was also greater in vulnerable villages (0.88) than in non-vulnerable villages (0.82), highlighting the prevalence of integrated farming systems. Key drivers of crop diversification in vulnerable villages included access to irrigation, adoption of drought-tolerant crops and participation in training programs, which played a significant role in diversification. Strengthening diversification drivers particularly irrigation, resilient crops and capacity-building programs can enhance agricultural resilience. Policies should promote integrated farming systems to mitigate climate risks and stabilize farm incomes.

Agriculture remains the main livelihood source in India; however, small and marginal farmers continue to struggle with low incomes, nutritional deficiencies, and the degradation of natural resources. To address this issues, Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) offer a sustainable approach to address these issues by combining crop and allied enterprises to enhance resource use efficiency, profitability, and resilience. This study was conducted in the Samba district of Jammu & Kashmir to assess the composition, economic viability, diversification, System Economic Efficiency, and Sustainability of different IFS models followed by the farmers. Primary data were collected from 50 IFS farmers across the Nud and Purmandal blocks of Samba district through personal interview method. Seven IFS models were identified: FS-I (Crop + Dairy), FS-II (Crop + Poultry), FS-III (Crop + Dairy + Goatry), FS-IV (Crop + Dairy + Mushroom), FS-V (Crop + Dairy + Goatry + Poultry), FS-VI (Crop + Dairy + Goatry + Mushroom), and FS-VII (Crop + Dairy + Goatry + Poultry + Mushroom). The results indicated that FS-I was the most prevalent system (50% of households) due to its simplicity, while FS-VII, though least adopted (4%). The highest net returns (Rs. 349,780.3) and System Economic Efficiency (Rs. 191/day). Among all the IFS models, FS-VI recorded the highest Benefit-Cost ratio (2.34:1) and Sustainability Value Index (0.49), indicating its strong long-term viability. Based on Simpson's Index of Diversification, FS-VII emerged as the most diversified model (Crop SI = 0.57; Livestock SI = 0.52), whereas FS-I showed the lowest level of diversification. Overall, the findings suggest that multi-enterprise farming systems outperform traditional single-or dual-enterprise models in terms of profitability, sustainability, and resilience. The low adoption of complex IFS models highlights the need for financial support, capacity-building, and market linkages for better uptake of IFS models.