500,000 farmers in 640,000 ha increased their yields by 15% to 40% and generated benefits worth US$ 15 million in six years Farmer Anji Reddy had no idea what mulching or covering the soil surface could do. When he attempted it, he was pleasantly surprised to see reduced weed growth. […]
The Coconut-Based Livelihood Program in Odisha, India, under the Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM) in collaboration with ICRISAT, recently converged with a national employment scheme. As a key partner, ICRISAT will be involved in mass-scale plantation of coconut saplings following improved practices using a farmer-participatory approach. It is hoped that this […]
Reviving traditional rainwater harvesting structures in regions with degraded land leads to increased groundwater levels, more arable land, and higher crop productivity and incomes. A recently published scientific research paper offers a case study of Bundelkhand, Central India, where groundwater levels were boosted by 2-5 m by renovating water structures […]
World Coconut Day was observed on 2 September in Odisha to highlight the importance of coconut cultivation for livelihoods in coastal communities. With its partners in the Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM), ICRISAT marked the occasion with demonstrations of planting, intercropping and multi-cropping coconut. A booklet, ‘Scientific management of coconut’ in […]
Plummeting groundwater levels and adverse rainfall patterns forced farmers in Buchinelli village in Telangana to abandon agriculture but a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative implemented by Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. adopting a climate-smart approach equipped farmers to return to farming. So far, more than 400 households in the watershed have benefited […]
This cropping season, observing all safety measures amidst the COVID pandemic (see box), more than a 1,000 farmers will be participating in demonstrations on growing improved groundnut, pigeonpea and vegetables with balanced application of fertilizers and planting orchards at two learning sites of a successful watershed initiative in southern India. […]
Farm ponds, revived soils and improved crop varieties lead to a more productive rural Odisha Kalahandi district in Odisha, India, has suffered from repeated droughts and famines for several decades, causing great hardships to the local farmers. A holistic intervention is helping 8,500 farmers in 10 villages boost farm yields […]
Under an extensive soil health mapping program in Odisha state, India, over 40,200 soil samples from farmers’ fields across 309 blocks in 30 districts were collected and analyzed, and recommendations made in response to the micronutrient deficiencies in the soil. Also, best management practices for increasing crop productivity were shared […]
Yields are up and fewer farmers in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh are migrating to cities, following a project that almost tripled their agricultural incomes. The initiative in Jhansi district introduced an array of practical methods, including water-harvesting structures, effective land-management practices and improved cultivars. These interventions made more […]
Strategies to harvest rainwater in drought-prone regions, through the collaborative Doubling Farmers’ Income project, received a boost with inputs from the state Agriculture Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India, recently. Focusing on the renovation of the ‘Haveli’ water structures in Chitrakoot, Mr Surya Pratap Shahi, Minister of Agriculture, Uttar Pradesh, discussed […]
