Sustainable Production of Guava Based Hortipasture System with Different In-Situ Soil and Moisture Conservation in Semi-Arid Region of India

In India, about 60 % of net sown area is rainfed, contributing 40 % of the total food production; it supports 40% of human and 60% of livestock population. Under such situation, incorporation of fruit trees along with animal husbandry in common farming system is advisable to improve income and nutritional security of the farmers. Horti- pasture system is the most ideal strategy to provide food, nutrition and income security to the people living in rainfed areas. System is socially accepted, ecologically feasible and economically viable for this region (Singh, 1996; Sharma, 2004; Kumar and Chaubey, 2008). Guava (Psidium guajava L.), is one of the most common and nutritious and hardy fruits of India, can thrive on all types of soil from alluvial to lateritic with pH value as low as 4.5 and on limestone with a value up to 8.2. It occupies about 1, 15,000-1, 62000 ha area in the country (Shikhamany, 2004). Two new cultivars viz., Lalit (CISH-G-3) and Shweta (CISH-G-4) were taken in this experiment. Stylosanthes hamata (Caribbean stylo) is an important range legume for semiarid region (Chandra et al., 2006). Similarly Cenchrus ciliaris (Buffel grass) is most suitable species for arid and semiarid region with rainfall range from 125-1250 mm (Trivedi, 2010). Establishment of hortipasture system is quite difficult task in rainfed region because of moisture stress. Providing regular irrigation is neither practically possible nor economical in rainfed region. Harvesting of rainwater and in-situ moisture conservation is only viable alternative to artificial irrigation. Shaping the surface in the immediate vicinity of the trees so that runoff collects at the root zone can enhance availability of moisture for long duration (Samra, 2010). Keeping these facts in view an experiment was conducted to sustain the productivity of guava based hortipastoral system with different in-situ soil and moisture conservation measures under rainfed situations