Improving Agricultural Productivity of Central India through Participatory Research-cum-Demonstrations and Knowledge Sharing – Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT)

Sep 2014Ministry of Agriculture Government of India

Project goal

• Theoverallobjectiveofthisinitiativeistoincreaseagriculturalproductivityandlivelihoodopportunitiesof the selected target regions in Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh via sustainable use of natural resources.

• Thespecificobjectivesofthistechnicalassistanceprogram are:

– To establish aholisticparticipatoryIGNRMmodelfortheconvergenceofactivitiesin4nucleusclustersforenhancingagriculturalproductivityandcrop-livestock management systems to alleviate poverty; and

– To provide technical know-how to farmers, landless rural people in the target districts, and partner NGOssupportedbytheSRTTintheregionthroughempowerment by bringing together learnings from nationalandinternationalexperience.

Project Activities:

• Building partnerships with stakeholders for improving livelihoods.

• Soilnutrientstatusassessmentbyparticipatoryfieldsoilsamplingindifferentvillagesandfertilizerrecommendations

• Improving crop yields with balanced nutrient managementalongwithapplicationofdeficientsecondary and micronutrients.

• Evaluationofimprovedanddiversifiedcropsandtheirvarietiesfordrought,disease,pestresistanceand higher yields and adoptability.

• Cultivatingricefallowareasbygrowingchickpeacropwith seed priming technique on residual soil moisture andwith1to2supplementalirrigation.

• Growing green manure plants GlyricidiaonfieldbundsasNsourceandapplyingloppingincroprow3-4timesinayear.

• Enhancinglivelihoodoffarmersbypromotingmicroenterprisese.g.vermi-composting,NPVvirusproduction,andnurseryraisingetc

• Constructionofrunoffwaterpondsforsupplementalirrigationtovegetablesandalsopromotingfishrearing.

• Mechanizationthroughintroductionofimprovedagriculturalequipmentsselectedthroughparticipatorymodeviz,Tropicultor,tworowweedersetc.

• Capacity building of all the stakeholders

Chemical analysis of soil samples

TheresultsofsoilsamplescollectedfromtargetedregionandanalyzedatICRISAT,Hyderabad(Table1)clearlyshowedwidespreaddeficienciesofsecondaryandmicro-nutrientsviz,S,BandZnapartfromdeficiencyofmajornutrientsviz,NPK.Basedontheseresults,recommendationweredevelopedforbalancednutritionincludingdeficientsecondaryandmicronutrientsviz,S,BandZn

Table 1. Chemical properties of soils in targeted regions of Jharkand and Madhya Pradesh.

Location pHEC

ds/m Org-C %Ols-P ppm

Exch-Kppm

Aval-Sppm

Aval-BPpm

Aval-ZnPpm

1.Sarikela-kharswan-Jharkhand

5.2-6.8

0.0-0.2

0.2-1.0(77)* 0.0-5.7(97) 13-119(73) 1.3-20.9(83) 0.1-0.3(100) 0.2-1.3(87)

2. Gumla - Jharkand 5.0-7.1 0.0-0.6 0.3-1.1(47) 1.4-72.4(23) 29-247(27) 2-9.6(100) 0.1-0.3(100) 0.3-2.9(73)3. Jhabua- MP 6.4-7.4 0.0-0.3 0.6-1.5(0) 10-42.2(45) 88-506(0) 2.7-28.2(95) 0.3-0.8(91) 0.7-3.2(5)4.Mandla-MP 5.9-7.2 0.0-0.3 0.4-1.3(14) 1.0-7.2(90) 82-287(0) 2-13.2(90) 0.06-0.38(100) 0.48-1.14(52)*Figuresinparenthesisindicatepercentdeficientfields

Results

• Introductionofimprovedcropvarietiesalongwith balanced nutrient management including secondary and micro nutrients resulted in significantimprovementofcropproductivity(Fig1.)

• Cropdiversificationwithhighvaluecropsresultedinsignificanteconomicreturns

• Promotingchickpeainricefallowsimprovedcropping intensity to 200 per cent and thereby increasedsystemscropproductivityby16-25percent

• Cultivationofoffseasonvegetablecultivationunderdripirrigationhasresultedin27-59percentincreaseinnetprofitcomparedtotraditionalwayoffloodirrigation(Table2)

• The market linkages are developed at local level whichhelpedthefarmerstogetadditionalvalueoftheirproduceviz,sellingofgreenpods/cobsresultedinadditionalmonetaryreturns

• Promotingmicroenterprisesviz,nurseryraising,dalmaking,poultry,fisheryetcresultedinadditionalincometofarmers

Conclusion

• Theinitiativeinvolvingtechnicalbackstoppingand capacity building of all the stakeholders including farmers resulted in improved agricultural productivityandsignificantlyopenedupotherlivelihoodincomegeneratingoptionstothefarmers and landless labors on sustainable basis.

Table 2: Yield advantage and economics of vegetable cultivation under drip compared to flood irrigation at Teleya village in Gumla Dist., Jharkhand (Avg. 2010-12).

Sl No

Vegetable crop

YieldKgha-1 IncomeinRupee’sDrip

IrrigationFlood

irrigation%

increaseDrip

IrrigationFlood

irrigation%

increase1 Brinjal 26400 18200 31 1E+05 88800 38

2 Tomato 19205 15417 25 2E+05 2E+05 27

3 Cabbage 14442 8118 78 2E+05 1E+05 59

Target eco-region of Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand: AESR and districts Fig. 1. Average crop productivity of important crops

in Jharkhand with improved crop management practices (2009-2012)

Encouraging farmers for farm pond constructions and to use gravity drip irrigation system for growing profitable vegetable crops during off season to get higher market price

Excellent crop vigor of maize and chickpea grown in rice fallows

Diversification with green gram, blackgram and vegetables etc

Introducing and popularizing vermi-compost units and new improved agricultural implements.

Establishing Automatic weather station

This initiative is supported by Sir Ratan Tata

Trust