Recent Advancement on Understanding the Interaction of Crop-livestock Integrated Production System for Its Eco Friendly Sustainability in Bihar

Crop-livestock production is a system where livestock husbandry and cropping are practiced in
association for sustainable production; without any negative impact on the environment. The alarming
human population has increased the spate of food insecurity and malnutrition globally and India
especially Bihar are under its deepest impact. Therefore there is an urgent need for an efficient and
sustainable production system capable of providing both crop and animal products for the teeming
human population. In Bihar every year nearly 0.5 Mha areas in the state is affected by floods while 2.4
Mha is affected by drought. Under such situations dependency on livestock for livelihood security is
high. Therefore, the crop-livestock interaction is very strong in the state. The reduction of high input
use with relative increase in crop yield is the major concern. Sustainable intensification could be the
better means to minimize the crop yield gap without environmental burdens, a major challenge of
agriculture for this era. In this integrated system, crop and livestock interact to create synergy that
allows ecosystem balance and sustainable production intensification. In this article, we have explored
the ways in which sustainable intensification interventions can be carried out.