A group of policymakers and officials from across India recently experienced ICRISAT’s sustainable research-for-development practices being implemented in the country’s Bundelkhand region which are benefitting 30,000 families reliant on farming. A travel workshop-cum-exposure visit was organised for the group during 9-11 October 2021 where the knowledge generated was shared. Participants […]
One of the ways in which ICRISAT is helping smallholder and marginal farmers in Odisha, India, is through collaboration with the Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM), to restore and improve livelihoods in six districts of the state. Part of this effort is the revival of coconut plantations and dependent livelihoods in […]
A recently commissioned decentralized wastewater treatment unit is now ready to provide supplemental irrigation during the post-rainy season for up to 4 ha of agricultural land, benefiting the 3,250 residents of Buchinelli village, Telangana, India. Developed in partnership between ICRISAT Development Center and Mahindra & Mahindra as part of its […]
A farm machine-hiring center set up in two villages in South India is showing how research-led interventions, based on a clear understanding of on the ground realities, can result in saving time, cost and labor for dryland farmers while creating jobs for rurally-based youth. ICRISAT studies show that besides improving […]
A case study about a watershed management initiative by UltraTech Cements Ltd (UTCL) and ICRISAT was recently named as one of the best case studies at a unit-level contest by the Aditya Birla Group (ABG). This initiative of UltraTech in partnership with ICRISAT is reviving livelihoods of more than 500 […]
Highlights 200-year-old traditional rainwater harvesting system brought back into practice Construction of haveli structures enhanced surface and groundwater availability Migration from villages stopped; villagers return home from cities This story was first published by Dainik Jagran Talbehat (Lalitpur): Water is the basis of life. It is difficult to think of […]
Watershed interventions have led to 1-2.5 meters higher groundwater levels, providing lifesaving irrigation to the farmers. This was achieved in a challenging environment in two villages in the drylands of Andhra Pradesh, India, which were facing a change in rainfall for the last five years. The steady monsoon showers were […]
A holistic watershed approach that not just conserves water and soil for better crop production but touches people’s lives through science-led interventions has once again delivered significant impacts in a Corporate Social Responsibility project in Telangana state of India. A participatory approach knit the community as they learned to maintain […]
A training program on analyzing soil using Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (MP-AES) was recently conducted in Odisha, India, for staff of referral soil testing laboratories. Analysts from the referral labs were trained on standard preparations, calibration of high-end equipment and SOPs of micronutrient analysis using MPAES. Under the Odisha […]
ICRISAT will use its decades of experience and expertise in soil health management to help Indian farmers grow higher-yielding crops for greater income benefits, according to a recently launched partnership with the Naandi Foundation. Among the objectives of this association are monitoring soil health and plant nutrient status; suggesting measures […]
Originally published on In the semi-arid tropics water is a precious resource that often does not trickle down to small farms. Farmers who can afford borewells, save their crops during dry spells in the cropping season whilst others watch crops and investment dry up. Now, a CSR project led by […]
As one of the key activities undertaken by our watershed projects to improve household nutrition in rural Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, India, encouraging women farmers to start small vegetable gardens in their backyards has been very successful. These ‘nutri-gardens’ also help augment household incomes, especially during times of job losses […]
Continued efforts, via public-private partnerships, to build resilience in dryland farmers are yielding multi-faceted benefits – about 100 farm ponds with 20,000 cubic meter capacity for better access to water, 21-44% higher crop yields, better nutrition and incomes through fruit and vegetable gardens, and greater awareness of technologies – for […]
Odisha Chief Minister Mr Naveen Patnaik announced the collaboration on 2 March 2021 The Government of Odisha is collaborating with ICRISAT to strengthen management of natural resources for the benefit of the state’s Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups that are dependent on agriculture. Accordingly, ICRISAT will undertake capacity building initiatives, water […]
Originally published on The world of water management is replete with stories about traditional systems that break down, such as the one we reported in November from Karnataka, South India. Age-old, decentralized approaches to managing water and watersheds do fall apart, leaving farmers high and dry. However, a remarkable study […]
The India CSR Network has awarded Mahindra & Mahindra Limited (M&M) for its watershed development efforts in India’s Telangana state. The efforts involved creating 51 water harvesting structures in Buchinelli village over three years that led to harvesting 137,000 m3 rainwater every year, benefitting around 150 farmers. Water harvesting with […]
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has acknowledged ICRISAT scientists Drs Kaushal K Garg, KH Anantha, Sreenath Dixit and Anthony Whitbread for their contributions to the 2020 edition of its annual flagship publication, The State of Food and Agriculture. The edition was dedicated to overcoming water challenges in agriculture. For […]
A series of capacity-building programs, including the use of Plantix – a mobile app to detect pests/diseases in crops, best practices in chickpea and mustard farming, and demonstrations of micronutrient addition to soil, was recently conducted in four districts in Odisha state, India. Despite the prevailing conditions, officials successfully carried […]
The soil movement started in the Indian state of Odisha two-and-half years ago through the ICRISAT-led Bhoochetana project crossed an important milestone with the launch of a soil atlas and two modern soil testing laboratories of international standard. Dr Arun Kumar Sahoo, the State Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, […]
Kolar district, in India’s southern state of Karnataka, has been known for centuries as a district of tanks: its landscape is dotted with nearly 3,000 surface reservoirs excavated by successive ancient kingdoms to secure water for household use, livestock, irrigation and groundwater recharge. These tanks, together with shallow open wells, […]
