Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Integrated farming systems; a tool for natural resource management/V.M. Bhale and Sanjay S. Wanjari. 2. Profitability and sustainability in IFS/A.S. Kumara Swamy. 3. Establishment of IFS modules for different agro ecosystems of Hyderabad Karnataka region/B.K. Desai, Santhosh, U.N. Shashikumar M. and Jagannath. 4. Holistic development of vulnerable farm families through IFS—approach in 17 Districts of Southern Karnataka/K. Jagadeeshwara, Y. Nagaraju, Bhagyavathi and K. Narayanagowda. 5. Integrated farming systems in red soils of Karnataka/S.L. Patil. 6. Integrated farming system modules for coastal ecosystem/B.L. Manjunath. 7. Sustainable rural livelihood security through IFS/H.S. Shivaramu and P.M. Chandakavate. 8. Novel approaches for rural livelihood security through integrated farming system/N.R. Mamle Desai, Chandranath, H.T. and Babalad H.B. 9. Profitable rice based farming system for command areas/A.S. Channabasavanna and D.P. Biradar. 10. Horti-silvicultural systems for sustainable production/T.B. Allolli and Soumya Shetty….

Today food security nutritional security livelihood security, sustainability of productivity and conservation of natural resources are the major issues of agriculture for farm scientists, agriculturists and the policy makers. Being an agrarian country with more than half the population depending on agriculture above issue need to be addressed on priority with due consideration to changing climate. Again majority of holding being managed by small and marginal farmers, it is imperative that any technology generation should primarily aim at these groups and in that farming system being holistic in approach appears one such panacea to address these issues as it takes in to account the potential natural resources, inhabiting human livestock and allied enterprises, and market force. That is why integrated farming system research is the cynosure of all researchers with farm and farm family as the base. In Karnataka this kind of research was initiated during the nineties in TBP command and during last couple of years the University of agricultural sciences, Raichur has initiated model integrated farming units both under rainfed and irrigated ecosystems at all the research stations under RKVY, GOK besides undertaking the task of empowering farmers. (jacket)