Innovative Technologies in Agriculture and Rural Development
LIVOLINK FOUNDATION BHUBANESWAR
Preface and Acknowledgement Agriculture and rural development are few of the sectors where a system approach to innovations has been least applied for several reasons. Institutional barriers and the perceived distance between research and practice meant that, in many countries including India, farmers’ knowledge and practices has only insufficiently been taken into consideration as a possible source of innovation. Much of what has to be done for rural development is made difficult by the complexity of the systems in which we intervene. Many interventions may appear relatively straight-forward, maybe routine or programmable. However, the challenge lies in the judicious application of such interventions according to the contextual applicability for a particular target area or masses. For advancing local collective action towards up-scaling various technological innovations in the development sector, we felt the ardent need to bring out a consolidated document on select innovations undertaken by civil society organizations, rural communities and research agencies from various parts of the country. We strongly believe that the only way India can sustain its long-term economic growth is by unleashing and harnessing the creativity of its grassroots innovators especially in rural areas. The challenge is however, in the fact that grassroots innovations don’t scale up. Indeed most rural innovations and initiatives however impressive they maybe – are sadly limited in their impact to a local and regional level and end up in augmenting the economic status and livelihoods of a limited segment of the poor and rural people. This document is brought forward to facilitate a mechanism to cross-pollinate and scale-up these bright and innovative ideas for subsequent attention of Government, policy makers, research institutions, donor agencies, scientists, academicians and others towards enabling wider replication of such innovations in our country. We express our heartfelt gratitude and acknowledge the work initiated by various civil society organizations, NGOs and research agencies on innovative technologies. This document is a compilation of initiatives and cited experiences drawn from selected initiatives of NGOs and other agencies on such innovations. These constitute the reflections presented in this document on Innovative Technologies for Agriculture and Rural Development.
Anibrata Biswas Livolink Foundation
Foreword
Dr Sanjiv Phansalkar
Programmes Leader Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Allied Trusts Mumbai, India
As population pressure rises and land man ratio becomes adverse in wider areas of the country, the problem of sustaining rural populations will become more and more pressing. Social safety nets of the entitlements type offer politically attractive solutions to this problem though given our track record their efficacy in alleviating the miseries of the resource poor will remain in question. Even if social safety nets are offered well, two questions will still need to be answered well. The first is how does one ensure that resources are protected and enhanced. The second is finding gainful ways of engaging and channelizing energies of the people. Hence it is important to find new ways of helping the resource poor manage their meager resources in ways that are profitable to them and sustainable in the long run. The solutions to these questions will vary across regions and places given the diversity in conditions that prevails in the country. This booklet offers a collection of various methods of addressing these three issues: the incompletely answered food security question, the meaningful engagement for livelihoods activities question and the resource sustainability question. These provide interesting and useful mechanisms for solving practical problems facing millions of resource poor people across the country. The booklet is a narration of the methods and their possible gains. The development community would profit by experimenting and piloting the methods that appear relevant in the local context. Future work on this issue needs to be focused on three different dimensions: Techno-economic validation of these methods. Specification of the conditions under which the methods will be found to be most effective. Identification of methods for extending these innovative methods to possible users who live in the appropriate conditions. While one remains optimistic, here is a somber note. Virtually none of these methods need inputs which are to be provided by an external economic actor. This appears to be a good news but only on surface. For, unless there is a strong economic motive in spreading an innovation, efforts to take it to scale suffer. Our society has not learnt to solve problems which are merely important but not commercially promising.
Contents
Tree Based Farming Systems in Arid Regions
1
Landless Garden
5
Promotion of Low Cost Kitchen Garden
7
Scaling up Mariculture
11
Up-scaling Stress Tolerant Rice Varieties in Flood Prone Areas
22
Gravity Flow Irrigation
24
Integrating Poor into Marketing Systems
27
Khaichum
29
Machan Vidhi
32
Up-scaling Innovative Technologies on Rain Water Management
34
Tree Based Farming Systems in Arid Regions This innovation has been undertaken by Bhartiya Agro Industries Foundation (BAIF)
Core of the activity Nearly 70% of the geographical area of India is dry land, under three main categories: arid, semi-arid and dry sub humid. The arid zone lies between 24° and 29° N latitude, and 70° and 76° E longitude. Covering an area of around 35 million hectares (ha) spread over seven states Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra the arid zone constitutes around a sixth of the country s area. Deserts in Rajasthan (20 mn ha) and Gujarat (6.2 mn ha) account for over 80% of the arid zone of the country. Desertification, which is described as land degradation in arid, semiarid and dry sub humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities , under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), is a major problem in dry lands of India, especially in the north-western parts of the country. The desert ecosystems poses a major development challenge as climato-vegetational factors result in a very poor natural resources base. The region is characterized by low and erratic precipitation (155- 350mm/ yr), sandy terrain and sparse vegetation. High wind and solar regimes increase the effect of rainfall variability. Sand dunes are the dominant landform. The entire ecosystem is highly fragile and a small disturbance may cause great and irreversible loss. Drought is a recurring phenomenon and extreme temperature and loss of water through evaporation is common. In the face of these obstacles, subsistence agriculture is practiced, mostly irrigation. Traditional animal husbandry and agro-forestry practices are the major livelihood activities. Traditional watershed management (run-off farming) and rainwater harvesting (through structures like tankas and kunds) are the main technologies used. Some silvi pastures are developed and protected near holy places. In general, the soil has low organic content. Accumulation of soluble salts or carbonate minerals just below the surface makes the soil more alkaline. Animals are an essential part of the production system. Generally, goat and sheep are reared on the available scanty grass and native tree leaves. Permanent pastures are highly degraded and neglected. Many of these pastures do not have any basal plant cover. Increased grazing pressure has led to disappearance of many species and decline in biomass yield. In the absence of any other alternatives for livelihood generation, migration is adopted as a coping strategy by desert communities. Most of the men migrate and women who stay in villages face a difficult life due to scarcity of water, fuel and fodder. The desert economy is thus increasingly characterised by rising number of migrants and decreasing socio-economic opportunities based on traditional practices. Climate change is likely to put additional pressure on ecological and socio-economic systems that are already under stress, thereby threatening the very survival of the population. Desert districts have a poor health care infrastructure due to lack of communications and road network. High infant and maternal mortality rates, low life expectancy, malnutrition, high prevalence of infections and chronic diseases are some of the major health challenges. Recurring droughts, poverty and non-availability of health care systems contributes to the complexity of situation. Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
1
In these circumstances, there is an urgent need to develop appropriate technology solutions, based on a thorough understanding of communities and their livelihood systems. Agriculture production and income from livestock in hot arid zones is vulnerable to high inter-annual variability in rainfall. There is a need to develop a stable, land-based source of income. To meet this need, BAIF is an organization that has piloted the tree-based farming model, known as Wadi. This has been recognised as a holistic model of development for backward regions. The core component is plantation of a selected variety of fruit trees in agriculture plots of around one acre, in such a manner that some cultivation of crops is possible till the trees reach maturity and start yielding regular annual income. Multi-purpose tree species (MPTS), grasses or crops like til are planted near the plot boundaries. After trials, fruits like ber, gunda (Cordia gheraf), date palm and pomegranate can be identified for wadis in the Rajasthan cluster. In the Kachchh (Gujarat) cluster, where the problem of salinity is acute, date palm is recommended. Amongst forestry species guggal, an endangered local tree whose gum has good commercial value, has potential for plantation along wadi boundaries, along with MPTS like khejari (Prosopis cineraria). Locally available natural resources can be used for fencing plots and protecting saplings from extreme heat. Cultivation of cucurbits like bottle gourd and ridge gourd along the fencing and fodder grasses are the ones that can be cultivated in spaces between fruit trees. Gunda is a small to moderate-sized (up to 5m) deciduous tree with a short trunk and spreading crown. It thrives in sandy soils, in areas with annual rainfall less than 500 mm. Thw berries are used as a vegetable and to make pickles while the sticky pulp is used to make glue.
Conserving and promoting Guggal Guggal (Commiphora wightii), also known as mukul in north India, is a slow-growing woody shrub/small tree found in arid and semi-arid zones of India. After growth of 7 years, it has thick branches that yield fragrant oleo-gum resin which has high value in pharmaceutical and perfume industries. Guggal gum is one of the most effective cholesterol-lowering agents available naturally. Owing to its demand in the pharmaceuticals industry, poor propagation through seeds, slow growth and over-exploitation; it has become an endangered species. Conservation and promotion of guggal in arid regions is thus a big challenge and opportunity.
Intervention Package Types of Intervention A. Tree Crops 1. Fruit Crops
Harsh Arid (like Barmer)
Other Arid (like Kutch)
Ber, Pomegranate, Gunda
Date Palm, Pomegranate , Sapota, Mango,
2. Forest / Fodder Khejari(Prosopis cineraria), Crops Pilu(Careya arboria)Indian Siris,
2
Sewan(Lasiurus hirsutus),
3. NTFP Crops
Rohida(Tecomella undulate), Babul, Kumath(Acasia Senegal), Khair, Guggul(Commiphora wightii)
Dhaman(Cenchurus ciliaris L.) Guggul (Commiphora wightii) Neem, Gunda(Cordia dicotoma)
B. Agriculture Crops
Bajra, Gourds, Moth, Mung (Kharif), Watermelon, cucurbits,
Wheat, Brinjal, LadyÂ’s Finger, Tomato, Cowpea Chilly, Guar, Mustard, Isabgol, Cotton, Bajra Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
C. Water Resource Development 1. Traditional System 2. Micro Irrigation System D. Livestock E. Area based treatments
Traditional Tanka with Agor Roof top Harvesting
Water Recharge well, Roof top Harvesting
Drip irrigation System Sindh Goat Silvipasture development model on community owned pasture lands to address fodder and fuel wood needs of villagers
Banni Buffalow, Khader Silvipasture development model on community owned pasture lands to address fodder and fuel wood needs of villagers Basic Principles
The basic principle of tree based farming system is to evolve a self sustaining livelihood development model within the resources of the poor people by utilizing the existing natural resources of the area. The thrust is laid on developing and then optimally using water resource to support agro horticulture forestry species on land adjacent to the communities. Traditional management of the entire arid zone ecosystem is centered on minimizing the risk of drought in diversified components and in efficiently utilizing scarce available natural resources, including agro-forestry products. The sustainability of any development activity to improve livelihoods depends on the degree of synergism with nature, native vegetation, livestock and locally available inputs. Livelihood development has to blend the traditional systems of farming and water conservation with new technologies, to promote natural regeneration/rehabilitation of arid zone ecosystems and create assets for sustainable livelihood. This calls for use of a participatory and multi-dimensional approach. This approach comprises raising of 2/3 suitable perennial species of dry land horticulture crops for generation of sustainable income for the participants. The improved agriculture production should be able to ensure food security while the forest and forage plantations will provide the requisite fodder and to a certain extent the fuel need of farmers. To address the water scarcity problem including drinking water, establishment of rain water harvesting structures can be envisaged.
Economic analysis Cost of establishment of one unit Wadi (One Acre with 50 fruit plants) Sl No
Particulars
1
Fruit tree plantation (For 3 years)
2
Drip irrigation for fruit trees
5000
3
Forestry plantation
1000
4
Vegetable production in wadi
1000
5
Irrigation support (For 3 years)
10200
Sub Total
33600
Water resource development activities Rainwater harvesting + agor/Rooftop connection
41575
6. 7.
Goat Intervention Grand Total
Cost (Amount in Rs.) 16400
500 75675
Assuming a maintenance cost of Rs 5000.00 for two years, the total cost up to 5 years works to be Rs 80675.00 say Rs 81000.00. Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
3
Benefit: Average Income from One unit of Wadi (50 Plants )+other interventions (Amount in Rs) Particulars
1st year Income in Rs
2nd year Income in Rs
3rd year Income in Rs
4th Year Income in Rs
5th year (Projected Income in Rs)
Total Income in Rs
Income from fruit
0
0
10000
20000
30000
60000
Income from the Leaves of the Trees 0
00
500
1250
2500
4250
Income due to Savings of Man days for collecting water
3000
3000
3000
3000
3000
15000
Other Income 1.
Vegetable
2.
Agriculture
500500
600500
700500
700
700
32001500
3.
Goat Intervention
0
0
3000
3000
3000
9000
4000
4100
17700
27950
39200
92950
Total Income
Benefit Cost Ratio works out to be 1.14 A steady flow of income of Rs. 39200/- per annum will be expected from 5th year onwards for next 20 years.
Constraints for up scaling/Risk in up scaling Hostile agro climatic conditions: Scarcity of water, poor soil condition, environmental hazards Inadequacy of extension support Non availability of quality planting material and manure Inadequacy of skilled /experience human resources Limited availability of post-harvest technologies for Ber spp. Under developed forward linkages
4
Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Landless Garden This innovation has been undertaken by Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP)
Core of the Activity The main focus of the activity is on Integrated Agriculture development for generating sustainable income of the families through Landless garden and Kitchen Garden promotion with the most vulnerable and disadvantaged community in their backyard of their house. This would entail capacity building of poor families promoting landless garden to grow different seasonal vegetables to cater to their own consumption for ensuring balanced nutrition for the whole family especially the women and children and enabling them to access nearby markets to sell their surplus produce to sustain the economic gain without disturbing the family livelihood cycle.
Basic Principles In todayÂ’s scenario the type of people we are targeting in most developmental schemes or programmes are not consuming any vegetables in their daily diet. Mostly they buy potato and onion from the market with limited use to major vegetables. Due to this the health status of the children and the women are very poor. Such initiatives are suited to ensure nutritional security and then to sell the surplus produce to earn some money for their family. One could produce oneÂ’s own vegetable requirements in the backyard using available freshwater as well as the kitchen and wastewater. This will not only facilitate prevention of stagnation of unused water which will be hazardous to health through environmental pollution, but can be useful for successful production of oneÂ’s own requirement of vegetables. Cultivation in a small area facilitates the methods of controlling pests and diseases through the removal of affected parts and non-use of chemicals. This is a safe practice, which does not cause toxic residues of pesticides in the vegetables produced. The average land holding of farmers in many regions is very low almost 1 ha. This coupled with high soil submergence due to heavy flood in the rainy season and limited financial capital has led to poor agricultural productivity and a high rate of migration. Many farmers and families in rural areas are land less; all they have is a small patch of land in the Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Vegetables grown in landless garden 5
back yard which remains fallow. These people generally are agricultural or unskilled labour. Therefore, the activities we are proposing are with these segments of families. The aim is to cater to those families focusing upon the women and the old aged people who remain in the house and can supervise the landless garden, kitchen garden without hampering the earning of their household (which may come from labour work or migration of the adult males). In addition, after the smoothening of production cycle the families can be motivated to go for agriculture to earn their livelihood by taking leased land.
Economic analysis Promoting four bags per family as a package can be considered at the outset. This is because two bags for self consumption and two for the market to earn additional income for the family. This number can be increased depending upon the space available. The economics of four bags are as follows:
Input Cost:Vermicompost (5 kg/bag @Rs5/kg)
- Rs 100.00
Zyme (50 g/bag @Rs35/kg)
- Rs 14.00
Seed (3 varieties of seed)
- Rs 10.00
Labour Cost (0.5 day)
- Rs 60.00
Total Input Cost
- Rs 184.00
Output :3 plants in a bag Total 12 plants in four bags Production from 4 bottle gourd plants
- 60 pcs @1.5 kg per Pc @Rs4 per Kg - Rs 1440.00
Production of 4 bitter gourd plants
- 5kg per plant @ Rs8 per kg - Rs 160.00
Production of 4 smooth gourd plants
- 10 kg per plant@10 per kg - Rs 400
Total value of produce
- Rs2000.00
Net Profit
– Rs 1816.00
Crop cycle
- 3.5 months
So out of the total production the family consumes half of the produce and sells the rest half in the local markets. There is an additional income of Rs 900 to the family in addition to their regular sources of livelihood.
Constraints for up scaling/Risk in up scaling As this is a new method of vegetable cultivation, so for the first cycle proper handholding is needed. There may be families with whom this activity is being implemented who are not farmers and hence having no/little knowledge about the vegetables crop. Germination of seed is sometimes a problem. Advice and suggestions for pesticide application for pest attack is difficult to control.
6
Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Promotion of Low Cost Kitchen Garden This innovation has been undertaken by AVDRC The World Vegetable Centre
Core of the activity Under nutrition is a serious problem in India; Forty percent of the world s malnourished children and 35% of the developing world s low birth weight infants live in India and these micronutrient deficiencies often go unnoticed despite their insidious effects on the immune system, growth, and cognitive development. Micronutrient deficiencies have been referred to as hidden hunger and include iodine deficiency disorder, iron deficiency anemia, and vitamin A deficiency. Per capita per day vegetable consumption in India is 130g which is far below recommended levels of 300g by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Most people subsist on cereals based starchy staple-diets lacking in diversity, which contribute to micronutrient deficiency and result in severe diseases, especially in young, pregnant women and children. The most popular approaches to address malnutrition are supplementation and food-based strategies, which include nutrition, education, and food fortification. Home gardens/Kitchen garden are one of the most efficient sources of nutrition for poor families. These gardens make use of spare land, recycled water, and organic wastes from home, and add nutritional value and variety to the diet year round. Indigenous vegetables, the cheapest source of vitamins and minerals, are high value food sources for the poorest families and can be incorporated in home gardens.
Basic Principles Basic principle to design the home garden is to improve production and increase consumption of diversified vegetables round the year. The model is suitable for a plot size of 6 x 6 m. The plot has five longitudinal blocks (6 m long and 1 m wide) and each longitudinal block is further subdivided into 2 to 3 plots measuring 2 x 1 m and 3 x 1 m depending on the crop. Four irrigation channels, each 25 cm wide is dug between the blocks. Fields are prepared after two to three ploughing and well-decomposed farmyard manure should be mixed in the plot area. Twenty-three crops are selected based on location specificity, cropping seasons, nutritional availability, performance, and family requirement preference. Thirteen cropping sequences for the model layout are (Fig. I). Participatory home garden design, planning, planting, nutritional yield and contribution of designed home gardens to household diet content including moisture, ascorbic acid, and beta carotene Protein, vitamin A, iron contents of vegetables from home garden are being measured. Household survey on acceptability of vegetables in home garden with designed questionnaires and survey is conducted in selected areas. Modified food practices based on survey results in improving nutrient retention and increase availability and utilization of vegetables. Recipes are designed containing high protein, Vitamin Home garden Module A and Iron vegetables based on the recommendations and available vegetables in designed home gardens. Training courses on home garden, food and nutrition; and establish community-based training centers are also conducted in target areas. Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
7
Brief history of the innovation and spread Whatever we call it home, mixed, backyard, kitchen, farmyard, compound or homestead gardens, family food production systems are popular in most of the countries worldwide. They may be the oldest production system known and their very persistence is proof of their intr insic economic and nutritional merit. Traditional tropical gardens typically exhibit a wide diversity of perennial and semi-perennial crops, trees and shrubs, well adapted to local microclimates and maintained with a minimum of purchased inputs. Studies on traditional mixed gardens have emphasized their ecologically sound and regenerative characteristics, by which they “recreate natural forest conditions” and minimize the need for crop management.
Traditional home garden
The dynamic role of home gardening in family nutrition and household welfare must be assessed in the context of the wider farming system and household economy. Usually, the functions and output of the home garden complement field agriculture. Whereas field crops provide the bulk of energy needed by the household, the garden supplements the diet with vitamin-rich vegetables and fruits, energy-rich vegetable staples, animal sources of protein and herbs and condiments.
Experiences: In 2008 the home garden model was established by AVRDC and evaluated on-station at Birsa Agricultural University (BAU), Jharkhand and Krishi Gram Vikas Kendra (KGVK) Rukka, Ranchi. The weekly and average yield of the vegetables grown was calculated from August 2008 to March 2011. The fresh vegetable yield was further used to calculate the nutritional yield and nutritional supplies for a household of four members. The nutrient values of the vegetables were derived from the Indian Council of Medical Research and United States Department of Agriculture databases. The quarterly average nutritional yields (per person per day) including protein, vitamin A, vitamin C and iron were calculated over one year from August 2008 to July 2009, and compared to RDA values. In 2009, the CenterÂ’s home garden model was demonstrated by 160 farm households; in 2011, approximately 885 Jharkhand households established home gardens based on the AVRDC model. Thirteen vegetables were grown and harvested in every season in 36 m 2 home gardens. The gardens produced an average of 5.10 kg vegetables every week and 266.5 kg per year, providing an average of 182 g of vegetable per person daily in a four-member household family. A total of 351 kg fresh vegetables were harvested from April 2010 to March 2011 The quarterly nutritional yield (per person per day) for protein, vitamin A, vitamin C and iron was calculated based on the recommended daily allowance (RDA). Vitamin A and vitamin C supplies were more than sufficient, and approximately 3/4 of protein and 1/4 of iron requirements were met (Table 1). The Center is incorporating high protein legumes and very high iron vegetables in the garden designs and disseminating improved recipes using these plants to enhance the nutritional value of meals.
8
Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Table 1: Nutritional yield from home garden vegetable harvest, Jharkhand Protein (g)
Beta Carotene (mg)
Vit C (mg)
Iron (mg)
Nutritional yield/year
5348.5
3898
96819.1
9012.3
RDA for a family of four
1287.5
3212
58400
38142.5
73.4
121.4
165.8
23.63
% RDA met
Other activities related to home garden in three years of the project 160 home garden kits along with the home gardening information were prepared and distributed to the farmers. 2000 home garden kits including five leafy vegetables were distributed to the farmers. Modified food practices including pickling, sauce making, drying were the food processing methods identified for vegetables and detailed processes of these were suggested to the farmers in the training programs. Extension material for home gardening and nutrition awareness were prepared and distributed to the trainers and farmers. 529 NGOs field staff, farmers, and household were trained in 30 one day home garden trainings cum demonstration programs joaintly organized with the partners at different sites for enhancing home garden vegetable cultivation awareness. There were seven training courses and two field days conducted involving 273 trainers and farmers. There were 30 new modified recipes, utilizing home garden vegetables, developed. Modified food practices including pickling, sauce making and drying were also promoted to farmers in training programs. More than 4,000 village members, policy makers, visitors and media persons visited the model home gardens. There were 8,000 home garden fact sheets and model posters developed and distributed to farmers.
Investments and economic analysis Well-planned, intensive cultivation of vegetables in home gardens can enhance vegetable productivity by 73.9 t/ha compared with average vegetable productivity of 12.7 t/ha in India. To promote home gardens, AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center and partners distributed a total of 160 year-round home garden and 2000 winter leafy vegetable kits; the home gardeners were able to produce about 142 t of vegetables worth about Rs. 15.4 lakh. Although dietary customs are culture-related, new indigenous vegetables can be introduced to diversify diets. Highly nutritious vegetables such as kangkong and basella have been introduced and have been accepted and consumed by the farm families. New recipes have been developed to enhance the bioavailability of iron, protein, and vitamins A and C. The number of home gardens increased to 885 in 2010-11, which will have the capacity to produce about 214.5 t annually. The potential economic benefits of home gardening, which should be considered in designing garden projects and included in project evaluations, include the following: Returns to land and labour are often higher than those from field agriculture; Gardening gives dual benefits of food provision and income generation; Gardens provide fodder for household animals and supplies for other household needs (handicrafts, fuelwood, furniture, baskets, etc.); Household processing of garden fruits and vegetables (drying, canning) increases their market value and ensures year-round supply; Low-input, low-cost gardening has few “barriers to entry”; Marketing of garden produce and animals is often the only source of independent income for women.
Strategies for Upscaling In areas where diets are based on cereals, meat, or spicy crops, promoting vegetable consumption becomes more difficult. The importance of vegetables contribution to daily nutrient requirements should be promoted Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
9
and the healthy diet gardening kits supported to gain wider acceptance among farmers and consumers. Establishments of home gardens on a large scale can help improve year-round vegetable production; ensuring nutritious vegetables are available to the smallholder farmers and poor households. Training provided to scientists, extension workers, and farmers will encourage the adoption of new technologies and home gardening skills for enhanced vegetable productivity in the region. Overall, the interventions in this project will help the people of Jharkhand achieve nutritional security, and provide an additional source of income to poor farmers. In another five year, the program can be implemented in other areas of Jharkhand as well as other states of country. The following strategies are required for upscaling the home gardens: Work should be done in areas where households have some experience with home gardening; build on traditional methods to enhance household food security. Using a group approach and select village leaders for technical training. Integrating nutrition awareness and education into garden planning. Involving whole families in garden planning and management, and especially women in the distribution of garden harvests and income generated. Flexibility with respect to choice of species and cropping patterns, encouraging diversity and use of locally adapted varieties. Encouraging reliance on local materials for soil, water and pest management and on household or community seed production; minimize “giveaways”. Monitoring the project for regular feedback and fine-tuning of training and other needs.
Constraints for upscaling/Risk in upscaling Non availability of water in summer Less attention to home garden during rice season Damage by domestic animals and poultry Less availability of quality open pollinated variety seeds Lack of seed production technique and storage. Shifting / discontinuation of home garden according to season
10
Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Scaling up Mariculture This innovation has been undertaken by Coastal Salinity Prevention Cell (CSPC)
Core of the activity Concept of lobster fattening The spiny or rock lobsters (Panulirus spp.) are marine crustaceans (shellfishes) commonly found in rocky shores and grow up to a body length of 60 cm. The dominant and most widespread species of the Pacific is the golden rock lobster. Other common species are the painted lobster, the striped leg lobster and the ornate lobster. Eight species of spiny lobsters, six shallow water species and two deep-sea species and the sand lobster contribute to lobster fishery of India. The shallow water species are: P. homarus, P. ornatus, P. polyphagus, P. pencillatus, and P. versicolor and P. longipes).
Background of related initiatives Initiation of Fishery Groups PeopleÂ’s Learning Center for Livelihood Security and Disaster Mitigation for Coastal Communities (PLC)- has been an organization whose intervention in the fisheries sector begun in 2004, when an initial survey was carried out to assess the dependency on fishing as a livelihood. A training programme in Victor village followed this where 58 people came forward for a two-day training. The people were all from the Vaghri community, which is not a traditional fishing community but its members are adept at catching small wildlife and many were practicing sea-shore fishing, albeit without legal permits and without proper equipment. After the training, 32 people decided to come together to set up a self help group on a cooperative basis. 21 of these were involved in temporary fishing while 2 to 3 were practicing fisheries on a regular basis. Due to poor catch and harassment by local authorities most of these people were unable to make a livelihood out of fishing and had to migrate to survive.
The cooperative made it possible for them to: - Gain legitimacy by procuring license for seashore fishing catch and sale. - Access loans to buy fishing nets - Get technical guidance from PLCÂ’s resource-persons as well as from Fisheries Department to carry out sustainable and profitable fishing. - Get a better price for their produce in the market
Fishing intervention and its impacts On the suggestion of PLC team, several changes in the fishing methods and norms were made which began to bear fruit in terms of increased productivity and income on a sustainable basis. Where the daily income from fishing was Rs. 30-50/- before, now it has increased to about Rs. 70-80/- per day. On an average, a family began to earn an additional Rs. 1000/- month and as a result, migration levels began to come down. Soon more villages began to join the movement and by the beginning of 2008 there were 21 groups. The group has been registered in the name of Matsagandha Sarvangi Vikas Sanstha as a public trust and Society. Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
11
Genesis of Lobster fattening and other mariculture opportunities While working with the fisheries groups, the PLC team encouraged them to be innovative and make small experiments. At Akhtariya (as also other villages), there was a tradition of using small pits to store fish for a few days (say 10-15) and then sell them in order to get the right price. PLC team recalled that during an exposure visit to Hindustan Lever at Chennai they had seen experiments on lobster fattening which was proposed to the people. This resulted in the development and standardization of the pit culture method for lobster fattening. The species of rock lobster found here is Panulirus homarus. The pits were made in soft rock on the seashore where the pits were flushed regularly by tidal water. Pits of small size (virdas) as well as larger sized tanks were made to find out the best option. At Chanch Bawadiya there are many creeks. The Creeks people used to carry fish and lobster in bags made of net and keep them for a while before marketing. PLC team asked Bachubhai Verabhai, one of the members to put some juveniles in a net bag and tied it in a creek. After three months the lobsters had grown from 50 gm to 70 gm. And after another two months they became 150gms in weight, making them marketable. However, predators had damaged the legs of the lobsters, which affected their market value. The experiment paved the way for developing the cage method and standardizing the culture procedures. The cages were made of bamboo sticks and nylon nets were tied in two or three layers around the bamboo structure. In the same way, crab-culture was also initiated recently and the results are very promising. Although crabs fetch a lower price than lobsters, they are less prone to the kind of production risks faced by the latter. These experiments/trials and their outcomes are discussed in more detail in the next section.
Basic principles Seed (juvenile) collection Juveniles are not easily available everywhere. The natural habitats are usually located in areas, which have soft rock bottom - lobsters avoid clayey and silty bottoms. Juvenile seed material is available during the two monsoon months of July and September. The seed material collected thus can be stocked in pits until mid October when the first cycle begins. Catching lobster juveniles is a specialized job and 2-3 members of the mandal can specialize in it. Juveniles are best caught with Japan disco net of gauge 3" x 3". Such nets are costly, and last only for a month, but the cost can be recovered in one day itself because marketable lobsters would also be caught along with the juveniles. At current prices, the net costs Rs. 500/- for every 200 ft. The cost of total length of net required would be about Rs. 2000/-. In Bhavnagar area, these nets are easily available in the Rajual market. Juvenile lobsters can also be bought from other fishermen who do not belong to a mandal and who are happy to sell their produce at a lower cost in order to get immediate cash.
Site selection Lobsters are sensitive to certain environmental factors. Hence care should be taken to ensure that such factors are favourable in the chosen site. The following criteria may be used for selecting a suitable site: i)
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The first and foremost condition is to look for soft stone areas where tidal water is 2-3 feet deep. Stony areas with sharp edges should be avoided as this will make it difficult to clean the pits and to Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
move about in the mariculture site. The site should be level as far as possible. Care should be taken to ensure that there are no hollows in the stone site and that there are no sweet water aquifers beneath. Sometimes if sweet water finds its way through the hollows, it can adversely affect the salinity levels and cause mortality. Muddy water should be avoided at all costs. ii)
Tidal waves should be coming on the site two times a day. Ideally the salinity level of the water should not exceed the range of 24 to 28 ppt. Areas where salinity of the water can fluctuate beyond this range should be avoided. Sites, which are inundated with sweet water currents, should be avoided.
iii)
In case the pits are located above the level of the tidal water, arrangements should be made to pump water into the pits and drain out water from the lower end. About a fourth of the water should be changed once in every three days.
iv)
Lobsters are very sensitive to temperature. The temperature should be between 18-20 degrees centigrade. In summer if the tidal water is hot their metabolism gets affected. Wet sacks can be placed on top of the pits in summer to prevent the water in the pits getting hot. Sites, which are frequently inundated with hot water currents, must be avoided. Sites with black stone should be avoided as these can get heated up more quickly.
v)
If a dungra or bet (small raised islet on the coast) is selected care should be taken to avoid the side facing the sea, as this side tends to get muddy.
vi)
The pH of the water should ideally be 7.5 and can range from 7 to 8. The pH gets affected also when sweet water flows come into the creeks or pits, especially during monsoon.
vii)
Areas with high predator population should be avoided to minimize loss of juveniles to predators and damage to the nets - in case of cage method.
viii) Avoid sites where the water current is too strong to cause damage to the pits or cages. ix)
Some times people may select a site that is difficult to access so that it is not vulnerable to damage / sabotage by other human beings. But this could also make it difficult to attend to the routine work related to husbandry of the lobsters.
x)
While selecting a creek for cage culture, care should be taken that there are no river flows in the creek or that saltpans are not located upstream as the latter release rainwater from their pans in monsoon. Very small creeks (with water flows of only 1 ft deep) should be avoided, as these will bring in mud or hot water flows.
xi)
Creeks, which have a high load of seaweeds, are generally not preferred for cage culture as this can mean more labour for keeping them clean. However, if the weeds can be converted into vermicompost, as done in other parts of coastal India that can serve as an additional source of income.
Preparation of pits / tanks i)
Although the size of pits can vary, two sizes have been found to be useful. The virdas are small pits of dimension 8 x 6 x 3 . The virdas must be spaced out to allow enough space for movement between them say about 5 feet. The layout would depend on the shape of the available site. The large pits or tanks with dimension 20 x 30 x 5 have also been tried. The borders of these tanks are made firm with a cemented stonewall about one foot in height. The pits are located at lower levels where the tidal water flushes take place two times a day. Hence the dissolved oxygen and nutrients flow in naturally. In the case of the tanks an outlet with a valve is located at the lower end from where the lower muddy water can be drained out. Provision for pumping in fresh seawater must be made. The pump needs to be located on a pedestal and protected from tidal water.
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ii)
Pits are made with hand tools, since the rock is soft. Often the time available between tides is less and the time available during a given day for digging may be only a couple of hours. This implies that more number of people may be needed in order to accomplish the work in stipulated time.
iii)
In the sides of the pits, small holes of half a foot are made so as to provide a hiding spot for the moulting lobster. Heaps of loose stones on the bottom of the pit can also serve the same purpose.
iv)
The pits must be covered with nylon nets that prevent the lobsters from being taken away by tidal waters. The nets must be fastened in such a way that the force of the water does not easily remove them. If the nets open up, not only can the fattened lobsters be lost, but predators can also enter the pits and cause harm to the stock.
v)
The entire site should be cordoned off so that it is not affected knowingly or unknowingly by any other human activities.
Recommended practices for pit culture
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Preparation of pits
i)
Only male juveniles are used for lobster fattening. The seed consisting of male juveniles should first be stocked in a separate pit. The seed can be stocked for the entire year. About half the seed will be used in the first round of 4-5 months. The other half will remain in the stocking pit without growing. After five months they can be removed and used in the next cycle for grow out.
ii)
The pits should be prepared first by cleaning them. The tidal water should be allowed to wash the pit at least twice. The quality of water should be tested on all the various parameters like pH, salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen (only in case of tanks where fresh water does not enter twice a day).
iii)
Stocking density – Juveniles should be stocked in such as way that each lobster gets 2.5 sq ft of floor space of the pit. In the case of cages, the stocking density can be 1.25 times that of pit method. For a cage of size 6’ x 3’ about 7-8 lobsters is optimum.
iv)
Juveniles of the same weight and size should be kept together so that they all undergo moulting at the same time as far as possible. Due to cannibalism, large lobsters may feed on small ones or on ones that are in the moulting stage. For the same reason, moulting lobsters should be placed in a separate pit.
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v)
The quality of seed should be checked before releasing into the pits. The tail should not be damaged in any way. The seed should be disease free. The incidence of disease so far has been rare, but elsewhere certain fungal and bacterial diseases are reported due to over-stocking.
vi)
The pits must be cleaned once in 3 days and the tanks once in 15 days. The water should be emptied out and filled again after cleaning. To test if the pit needs cleaning other than the routine cleaning, tie a saucer to a string and hang it in water. If it can be seen clearly upto 2 feet in depth the pit does not need cleaning. If the water is murky/ muddy, it needs to be cleaned.
vii)
During cleaning operations, the lobsters should be removed and placed in another pit. After cleaning the pit, the routine pit preparation should be repeated. Sort out the lobsters based on size, moulting stage etc. and re-start the pit.
viii) Measurements of environmental variables must be taken thrice a day (before sunrise, at 12 noon and after sunset) and entered in a logbook. Action may have to be taken to protect the stock from any sudden changes in temperature, salinity or pH values. Periodic weighing of the juveniles is also necessary to monitor the growth in different pits. ix)
In order to maintain sanitation and hygienic conditions, it is recommended that only one or two people are designated to do the cleaning work and others should not enter the pits. The use of rubber shoes and gloves is recommended for the same reason.
x)
Feeding practices: trash fish like chipla (snails); boomla (Bombay ducks) and sundhi jinga (small sized white marine prawns) and undersized boi fish are considered ideal feed material. These are all fish which fetch some market value, but when undersized they don t get fetch any value and therefore considered trash fish. Other types of trash fish do not lead to good growth and should therefore be avoided. The trash fish should be minced and fed in accordance to the weight of the lobsters. It is recommended that the feed should be about 1/10th of the weight of the lobsters. If excess feed is given, it leads to wastage or indigestion.
xi)
During stormy weather, protection is needed. The fishermen should ensure that the nets are fastened securely with galvanized nails that do not dislodge or corrode easily.
xii)
Protection from human interference, pilferage and sabotage is important. Some system of watch and ward may be needed in villages where the social threat is high. Oil spills can affect the cultivation. Sand and silt coming from nearby jetties and ports can create problems.
xiii) If any specific experiments are to be carried out to measure the impact of different treatments on growth etc. this should be done in separate pits marked out for the purpose. xiv) The lobster must be alive when taken to the market. Live lobsters fetch a better price in the market. The quality of the lobsters should be checked before placing in the market. Lobsters reddened due to lack of nutrition or oxygen etc may not fetch a good price and must be segregated. They must also be segregated by weight since price is fixed according to weight and size of the lobster.
Preparation of cages i)
The structure of the cage can be made from any salt-tolerant wood material. Bamboo sticks (Dendocalamus strictus) can easily be procured at a reasonable price and used for the purpose. In selecting this material sticks with smaller inter-nodes should be preferred. Unlike the larger bamboo species, microorganisms in the water do not attack this variety. Approximately 10-12 bamboo sticks are needed to prepare a cage of size 6 x 4 x 3 . The cage has a rectangular base and tapers towards the top so that seaweeds and other material would not cling to it and it would not be broken easily due to wave action of water.
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ii)
The fishermen can themselves prepare the cage with or without the help of a local carpenter. It is recommended that the poles be fastened together with nails made from bamboo splinters instead of using metal nails, which may corrode in the water. The approximate labour for making one cage at current prices is Rs. 200/-.
iii)
Once the structure is ready, it must be covered with nylon nets of 20 mm mesh. At least two layers of net, each separated from the other by a distance of 1-1.5" is recommended. This is because predators like crabs can cut through the nets and attack the juvenile lobsters in the cage. Sometimes snake like predators also get in through holes when the cage gets damaged. The mesh of the two layers should criss-cross each other so that snake like predators would get stuck in them.
iv)
A small round feeding gate is made at the top end of the cage by cutting the net. It should be large enough for a human hand to go through and should be stitched together each time after feeding operations.
Nylon nets
Recommended practices for cage culture i)
The cage should be placed in a suitable site in a near-by creek. It should be fastened or anchored down with the help of a large boulder or a heavy log.
ii)
It should be submerged at least 75% but should not lie on the bed of the creek, which is bound to be muddy and where predator attack is likely to be high.
iii)
About 7-8 cages can be stocked in a cage of the size mentioned above. The first cycle starts from mid October and takes about 4-5 months.
iv)
The cages should be inspected regularly to see if any predators have attacked, to repair the nets of the cages, to clean it from seaweeds and silt.
v)
The same trash fish mentioned for pit culture should be fed through the feeding hole in the same proportion mentioned earlier. However, since fresh water is continuously passing through the cage, it brings natural feed into the cage, which can also sustain the lobsters. Hence even if the fisherman misses feeding on a particular day because of some urgent commitment, the lobsters would not be adversely affected.
vi)
Watch and ward of the cages and constant vigilance to check the salinity and temperature of the water are important factors for success.
Equipment for monitoring environmental variables The following equipments are required for measuring the variables mentioned earlier:
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i)
Refractometer, which can measure salinity ranging from 0 to 100 ppt.
ii)
Litmus paper strips to measure pH. If budget allows, a pH meter can also be considered.
iii)
Thermometer to measure temperature of water.
iv)
Weighing machine to measure the growth of the juvenile lobsters from time to time. Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Economic analysis Financial analysis of Lobster Fattening (Pit Method) The financial analysis of lobster fattening as shown below is on the basis of our previous experiences of the complete pilots. With more experiences, it will be possible to further minimize risks.
Assumptions: Possibility of two lobster fattening cycle in one year One family requires one stocking pit and three fattening pit (each unit size 8 x 6 x 4 feet) 23 juveniles in one pit for fattening with 80% survival rate i.e. 18 lobsters x 3 pits=54 no. of fattened lobsters. In first cycle lobster will weigh 8 kg 100 gm and second cycle lobster will weigh 10 kg and 800 gm (stocking pit converts in to fattening pit in second cycle). Total production: 18 kg and 900 gm Each fattened lobster weigh 150 gm 126 lobster x 150 gm = 18 kg and 900 gm Rate of 1 kg Rs. 600 (conservative price) Particulars
Amount (Rs.)
Capital cost (includes preparation of pit by breaking rocky terrain, Cement works purchase of nets, ropes and other hardware)
7,460/-
Production cost per year (includes cost of feed, lobster juveniles, Water maintenance etc.)
4,924/-
Income(from sale of adult lobsters in two cycles)
11,340/-
Contribution (towards capital costs, being income less production cost)
6.416/-
Break even: since the contribution is enough to cover about 85% of the capital cost the project will easily break-even after the first cycle of the second year even after taking care of the overhead and marketing expenses.
Constraints for up scaling/Risk in up scaling Risk Assessment and strategies for dealing with them
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Table 1: Risk Assessment of Pit culture Method
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A similar risk analysis has been carried out for the cage culture method also, which is shown in table 2. Table 2: Risk Assessment of Cage culture Method
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Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
It has been noticed that the risks involved in crab fattening are much less. Crabs are less prone to predator attack. However, they are more likely to cut the nets and escape or make burrows in the side of the pits and escape. Regular feeding, slippery sides and other measures are recommended to minimize these risks. Some general strategies for risk mitigation: A general solution for both the methods for lobster fattening would be to explore the possibility of getting insurance cover for both the stock of lobsters as well as fishermen. Since the economics is attractive, the cooperative/ mandal would be in a position to pay the premium collectively. Apart from that efforts should be made to reduce the period of production cycle from five to four months so that two cycles could be accommodated in a year without running into the monsoon months when the risks are high. This could be achieved through better feeding and culture practices. The use of commercial feed to supplement the trash fish currently being fed could be explored. Husbandry methods that lead to earlier moulting could also be explored. In one experiment carried out by the organization, the moustaches of 16 lobsters were trimmed. It was noticed that four of these experienced early moulting by a month. Also the body weight of treated lobsters was 15 gm more than that of control lobsters. However, the local people did not find it attractive because the moustaches did not grow again thus the net weight of the lobsters sold was not significantly different. Such experiments could lead to breakthrough in reducing the cycle, which is very important from the viewpoint of reducing the risk factors. In the short run, it is advisable to go for only one cycle so far as the cage method is concerned, since the risk factors in the creek are far greater during the monsoon months. Instead, more number of cages can be placed in the creek to achieve the desired turnover.
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Upscaling Stress Tolerant Rice Varieties in Flood Prone Areas This innovation has been undertaken by Grameen Development Services (GDS)
Core of the activity Now climate change and global warming are widely discussed topics with their own perspectives. However, for agriculture and the farmers, climate change means Erratic rainfall (early, late, below average, more rain within a short span of time) leading to drought, floods and submergence. Shorter rainy and winter seasons, extreme conditions are rampant with sudden changes. (extreme summer and winters are seen and there are rapid changes in the season) In the changing climatic conditions, the stress on the crops is increasing and is resulting into reduced yields or the complete crop losses. Following stress tolerant varieties have been developed by the research institutions and have been field tested with the farmers in the eastern UP and northern Bihar: Submergence Tolerant Rice: Swarna Sub-1, IR-64 SuB-1, Sambha Mussourie Sub-1 (Improved version released by International Rice Research Institute Manila). These varieties give good yield under normal conditions and have tolerance to submergence up to 15-20 days. Drought Tolerant Rice: Sahbhagi Dhan (IRRI), Shuska Samrat (NDUAT Faizabad). Required irrigation is like wheat requires. It can be field tested in rain-fed areas.
Basic Principles Climate change and the stress to the Agricultural crops are the reality of present days. Nothing much can be done to check the impact of the climate change on Agriculture, overnight. The requirements are the development, the resilience, the coping capacity and tolerance among the existing crops (particularly cereals for food security of poor) through technical innovation (the work being done by the research institutions). The field based social organizations like GDS work for transferring these technologies and practices to the users and practitioners for contextualization, adoption, up scaling, and provide feedback to the Research institutions. This is the core of this entire effort.
Economic Analysis: Cost benefit analysis for these varieties has been worked out to be as follows, based on the abovementioned yield patterns:
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Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Cost of Demonstration Execution in the field is estimated roughly to be as under for a unit of 400 farmers in 200 Acres of Land and for a period of 6 months:
Particulars (one season Paddy crop-6 months) Unit
No. of Units
Unit Cost
Total (in Rs.)
Agriculture Executive
Month
6
18,000
108,000
8 Barefoot Agriculture Resource Persons (Local- Part time)
Person Months
48
1,200
57,600
Training to Farmers and Resource persons (LS), organize field days, exposure of other farmers to Demo sites etc
Lump sum
1
80,000
80,000
Subsidized Inputs (One Time)
Hectare
200
1,800
360,000
Agriculture Experts/ Resource Persons
Person days
10
4,000
40,000
Operational overheads
Lump sum
1
60,000
60,000
Grand Total
705,600
Strategies for up scaling The possibilities of enhancing the outreach would depend on the resources being put in. However, the strategies would include the following Varieties should be identified based on the climatic trends analysis in the region with inputs from agriculture experts and progressive farmers. Ensure the availability of quality seed of these varieties through universities or by establishing farmer seed banks. Large-scale demonstrations need to be organized at strategic locations where it can provide visual impact and trigger self-replication. First time field-testing should offer subsidies to the farmer for risk sharing. Training, follow up and regular interaction with agriculture experts will ensure success of the demonstration, which is critical for large-scale adoption. Capable and trained human resources are extremely important for interaction with the farmers and provide timely feed -back and solutions to the problems. In the absence of such an arrangement, it may become a seed distribution programme. Provisions for technology transfer can enhance the effectiveness of such intervention e.g. SRI with these varieties, technical instrument required would be cono-weeder and markers. The process and outcome of such demonstrations should be recorded, analyzed and taken back to the farmers and the research institutions.
Constraints for up-scaling: Non-availability of quality seeds may jeopardize the whole endeavour. If the climatic conditions become more erratic and beyond the toleration limit of these varieties, the crops would be then damaged. Competition with Hybrid varieties. Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
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Gravity Flow Irrigation This innovation has been undertaken by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and The Allied Trusts
Core of the activity The gravity flow irrigation in our country is mainly of two types: One is to revive the traditional irrigation systems and the second is pipe laid gravity flow irrigation system. The most important feature of this system is low-cost irrigation schemes addressing issues of poor and marginal farmers. It emphasizes indigenous simple technology, which can be managed by the community. Revive traditional irrigation system: Generally in almost all the drought / flood prone areas of our country there are traditional irrigation systems that need to be revived in an innovative manner using simple modern technologies.
Ahar Pyne in Bihar and Jharkhand These are traditional water harvesting system to store the rainwater using an earthen bund called ahar and the canal to carry irrigation water from this ahar is termed locally as pyne. The pyne irrigates the command area of the up streamside ahar and connects to another ahar at the down streamside to store the surplus water. Thus, it is a network of water bodies to harvest the rainwater and use for irrigation. There are also canals (pynes) directly connected to the rivers that carry water at non-silting non-eroding velocity that irrigates thousands of hectares in kharif season. The waterlogged areas near the ahar in kharif season are used for rabi crop like gram and give bumper yield due to the fertile silt that retains the residual moisture until the harvesting of the crop.
Dong in Northeastern states of India Dong is a canal that is connected to a river that draws water from a river for irrigation and drains out water from the waterlogged areas during flood. Both the sides of the canal are encroached and generally, the canals are not maintained. Simply cleaning these canals and constructing a sluice gate before it joins the river can cater to thousands of hectares benefitting thousands of families. This intervention gets support from many farmers and opposition from few people who have a stake in the encroached land at both the sides of the canal since many years.
Pipe laid gravity flow irrigation system This system is used when the source is comparatively at a higher elevation than the command area. This system not only protects kharif and rabi crop but also caters to household water supply and kitchen garden throughout the year. This system consists of mainly three components Intake structure Conveyance system Distribution system
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Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Intake Structure The intake structure has a sedimentation tank that helps removing in sands and particles which pose a threat to damage the conveyance system. The tank of 3m X 2m X 1m dimension is capable to remove a 0.2mm particle with an 80 liter per second discharge. This tank is constructed below the streambed level and creates barrier of 20cm height above the bed level to divert water into the tank. The construction of the walls of the tank is done by 1:2:4 CC and RCC slab covered on it. On the top of this tank, below the RCC slab a strainer is placed to obstruct big size particles in to the tank.
3X2X1 model Intake Structure
Conveyance system: The PVC pipe is preferred for conveyance of water for irrigation because of the following reasons. Less costly for low discharge and high head Easy installation by the villagers Long life (100 years) Low maintenance cost Cross drainage works not needed Not damaged by surface operations Runoff does not enter into it It can cross mounds No conveyance loss Economics can be singled out
Distribution system The outlets near the crop field use flange outlets and ball valves to control the flow of irrigation water. Sprinkler and drip irrigation can be installed according to the crop and the head availability. Where ever possible water supply to each household in the village is also included for growing kitchen garden to address the nutritional need of their family. This water is also used for bathing near their house that reduces women drudgery because the women of these villages use to go long distance for bathing during summer.
Basic principles Few people have individual interests and lack of community mobilization causes non-maintenance of traditional irrigation systems. Revival of the existing systems is not in practice and needs not only financial Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
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support but also meticulous community mobilization. There is also need of creating such new systems, which requires less investment than any other modern irrigation system. This is an innovation because it is community managed irrigation system using low cost technologies for conveyance of water and construction of sluice gates to regulate entry and exit of the water in the canal. Generally irrigation means big dams with canals but the pipe laid irrigation targets small and marginal farmers mostly ST, SC and OBC community living in undulating terrains from where all the streams start flowing. Mono-crop paddy economy is the main stay of their livelihood that also fails due to frequent drought. The secondary occupation of these people is NTFP collection and seasonal migration.
Brief history of the innovation There has been sporadic effort by few agencies for renovation of traditional irrigation as well as pipe laid irrigation system. However, SDTT and allied trusts have launched a national program to promote these technological innovations for gravity flow irrigation and named it Diversion Based Irrigation program during 2008. After that, around 49 NGO partners experienced both revival as well as creation of traditional irrigation system and pipe laid irrigation system. This step can be termed as the demonstration of some low cost irrigation but the scope for spread is in all the drought-affected districts.
Strategies are required for up scaling Revival of traditional irrigation system can be done in around 100 districts of our country and in next 5 years, it can be spread to about 100,000 hectares (Rs. 15,000/Ha). Similarly, in next 5 years pipe laid irrigation in around 100 districts can address irrigation issues for 500 hectares in each district. A special emphasis should be given to the hilly undulating districts affected by Left Wing Extremists. There are 60 LWE districts identified by the central Government. The cost would be around Rs 15000 per ha for 50000hactares. Major strategy for up scaling would be Irrigation & household benefits to sensitise the district officials through exposures, workshops and trainings to let them believe the concept that low cost irrigation schemes have high economic as well as social benefits. Creating a large number of local barefoot engineers through rigorous training and exposure is very essential, as the schemes would be implemented in remote areas. Convergence of these DBI schemes with the existing government programs like NREGA is essential for leveraging.
Constraints for up scaling /Risk in up scaling For revival of the existing traditional irrigation system, the main challenge is to convince the individuals who have encroached the canals and the common water bodies. The risks could be of political interference and few people-creating disturbances during implementation. In case of pipe laid irrigation system, most of the streams are found in the forest areas where the permission from the forest department may be a problem in up scaling. A major constraint is to arrange and provide quality capacity building and identification of village level experts.
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Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Integrating Poor Into Marketing Systems This innovation has been undertaken by International Development Enterprises (India) International Development Enterprises (India) started implementing the programme titled Integrating Poor into Market Systems (IPMAS), with the goal to assist smallholders overcome poverty by removing water and market constraints and increasing agricultural productivity. Since inception, IDEI has focussed on enabling smallholder farmers overcome the constraint of water by promoting affordable irrigation technologies. Over the years it was found that there were farmers who make more additional income than others while the technology promoted & its usage by both set of farmers was the same. Research show that farmers that were using additional inputs like organic nutrients or those better connected with markets were making more money. Taking the cue, IDEI conducted an external evaluation and identified the constraints farmers face. Following were the key findings:
A thorough analysis of constraints at each market level and in each constraint category will normally result in a long and daunting list of market constraints. In order to limit and focus the potential areas of intervention, constraints are prioritized to identify the “key logs in the logjam” that can unleash growth potential for large numbers of smallholders. Such leverage points may be found by identifying nodes in the value chain where a small number of firms act as intermediaries for large numbers of smallholders, or by taking advantage of geographic clustering of similar enterprises or production systems, or by identifying policy levers that will remove constraints for many market actors at once. Constraints are ranked and prioritized based on the potential impact on smallholder income and the number of smallholders affected. Based on these findings, framework for implementing the programme was developed. Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
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Framework for addressing the key constraints: The programme was implemented with support from SDTT in 2006 in the state of Orissa in 12 market sheds for a period of 18 months. The programme was evaluated and upon getting positive feedback, it was expanded to the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in 2008.
Strategy and steps Following are the components of programme implementation: At the input stage, the focus may be on promoting low cost affordable technologies to improve water use efficiency. Elements of this strategy include a product focus, technology development and supply chain development. Depending upon the need of the farmer, technologies can be identified and promoted amongst the farmers. The range of technologies include water lifting technologies such as bamboo treadle pump, surface treadle pump, pressure pump, rope and washer pump (and their adaptations); water application technologies such as drum kit, bucket kit and customised drip irrigation systems. Developing supply chain included identification and establishment of a chain of manufacturers, dealers and village based mechanics. At the on farm stage, the focus can be on compiling and documenting information on agricultural practices and disseminating them to smallholders. It involved documenting best practices from the fields and promoting them amongst larger farmer base. These are called Productivity Enhancement Packages. At this stage, sustainable agricultural practices such as organic farming techniques (vermi-wash, pot manure, magic tonic, biodynamic pesticides) were also promoted and a sustainable medium was promoted so that it continues by promoting entrepreneurship at the grassroots level. Output stage: With the use of organic material and following the tips on increasing the yield, farmers can increas output/yield. However this in itself does not provide increased additional income, instead selling this produce directly in markets will fetch them the money. Therefore, there is a need to connect the farmers directly to markets and to eliminate (as much as possible) the middle man. Towards the end, farmers need to be connected with mechanisms that provide them information on market trends on crops, price and to conduct exposure visits so that they make informed decisions w.r.t price of crops. Finally efforts can be made to connect the farmers with traders directly so that their capacities to negotiate with the markets and therefore get best price for their produce. The impact can definitely be result in increased incomes, higher surpluses converting into higher investments / savings, reduction in migration and a high level of KAP impacts both about sustainable agricultural practices as well as about market information about vegetables. Experiences indicate that farmers are now growing multiple vegetables and thus use to get good returns. Thus, efforts are part of a basket of crops suitable for various seasons and areas. Introduction of new crop varieties and package of management practices also lead to improved productivity substantially. Moreover, it is also revealed that while the technology is user friendly and does not require much maintenance, one of the major reasons of for low level of complaints is the centrally monitored quality assurance programme. This has led to a successful de-centralisation of manufacturing process. 28
Marketing strategies
Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Khaichum This innovation has been undertaken by Action of Women in Development (AWID) Khaichum is a low budgeted locally innovative initiative for food and livelihood security in the villages of North East parts of India. It is a system of rearing fish in mini ponds dug/constructed in paddy field. These ponds are called khaichum in Tangkhul dialect of the North East India. The literal meaning of Khaichum is fish bank. Fish is called Khai and Bank is called Chum. Generally the Khaichum are dug and constructed in irrigated paddy field plots, with sizes ranging from (one to one & half {1- 1 ½} Metres side) 2-3 metres or more in circumference with a depth of 1- 1 ½ metre. The shape may be rectangular, square or circular. The circular one is the most Khaichum common type; there may be 1-3 such ponds in each of the plot depending on the size of the plots. Some ponds are walled with stone or pine wood logs where the soil of the field is loose. In each of the ponds, logs, stones and small bundle of straw or thatch grass are piled up on the bottom floor for the fish to take shelter in the water filled ponds.
Brief History Since time immemorial, fishes have been an integral part of the food habits of these communities. Fishes are collected from rivers, streams and wet paddy fields. The main species of the fishes found in the rivers of parts of North East are Nunga, Tharobi, Ngarin, Ngami, Ngamu, Ngamu shangom etc. On the other hand, the rivers of Western & Northern areas are smaller, shallow with wide banks which are suitable for construction of paddy fields. The fishes found in this area are small indigenous fishes like Ngami, Ngakha, prawns and crabs. These smaller fishes migrate to paddy fields and lay their eggs in the fields itself. Therefore, people rear these fishes in their fields by digging ponds and catch the fishes from these ponds instead of going to rivers and streams. These practices have been followed since generations. Nowadays, most households in these areas have started rearing common carps, a species not known to them in the past. It was only in the late 60 s that this species had been introduced and people have started stocking them in their fields. Every household, who own paddy field rear this species which they buy from the local agents. Poor families who cannot afford to purchase the fingerlings take loan from moneylenders for purchasing the fingerlings. In these cases the farmers have to give half of the harvested fish to the moneylender. Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
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STOCKING AND HARVEST SEASON OF FISH The stocking season for the fingerlings is in the month of June and July when paddy plantation is over and the body weight of the fish ranges from 3-5 grams. The fishes are harvested in the month of September – October before paddy harvest. There are some people who do not harvest all their fishes in Sep-October and harvest the remaining fishes in the month of May or June. thus they are able to harvest fish twice in a year. The body weight of fish harvested during this season may attain 900 grams to 1 KG, whereas the body weight of the fish harvested earlier attains around 300 to 500 grams.
How to harvest the Fish Generally before paddy is harvested, the water in the paddy field is drained out from the fields, water outlet are fenced with nets, and canal like water passages are made by parting the paddy plants from ponds to water outlets. During the draining process when water level starts decreasing then the fishes swim to the ponds along the water passages. After the water is drained out from the ponds, with a bucket. During the draining process fishes can be seen gasping and jumping which can be caught easily with bare hands, without using a net.
Feed and Management People in the region do not use chemical fertilizer, pesticides, weedicides or any other chemical in the field and no special feed is required for the fishes. They feed themselves on insects and other naturally available tiny aquatic plants found in the field. They get plenty of sunlight and water to swim freely. If the water level becomes shallow they swim towards the pond and take shelter in the pond. During this process paddy plants are aerated and become healthier. No manpower or technique is required for its management. We need to be careful only when water level rises during heavy monsoon and fishes do not flush out with overflowing water. Water outlets should be properly fenced with bamboo, woven nets. Harvesting of fish
Feed and Management 30
Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Basic Principles 1. Pond should be dug/ constructed in irrigated paddy fields. 2. The perimeter/dykes of paddy fields should be strong and should be high enough to hold water body. 3. The ponds should be constructed during dry seasons ensuring that the walls are not collapse when filled with water. The wall should be strengthened by using stones, logs etc. 4. Use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or any other chemicals should be avoided. 5. No extra labour and technique is required for management. The only care to be taken is to check water level during heavy rainfall time that fishes does not flush out with water overflow. 6. Water outlets of the field should be fenced properly with bamboo or iron mesh. 7. Inner wall should be strengthened in such a way with stones or pine logs, to avoid soil erosion.
Economic Analysis Activities
Unit cost
Quantity
Construction of pond Fingerlings Fish harvesting
Cost (Rs) 2000
Rs 8 per piece Rs 150 per Kg
Profit
100 pieces
800
Total Cost (a)
2800
40 Kgs Total selling amount (b)
6000
a–b
4200
Along with this there are some of the indirect benefits as well associated with this intervention. a. Some families preserve dry fishes for their future consumption. In this technology different species of indigenous fishes are also harvested along with the common crops. b. These local varieties like Ngamu, Ngakra, Ngakijou, Ukabi, Ngacha etc are marketable. It can be dried, fermented and preserved for future consumption. c. Fish is a wonderful source of nutrients which is required by our body such as carbohydrate for energy, protein for growing, mineral and vitamin for glowing, fat for body heat.
Constraints and Risks - Attitude culture and behaviour of different communities - For low lands it may be risky for stocking common calf, due to frequent flood, but for local varieties there will be no problem.
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Machan Vidhi This innovation has been undertaken by Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN)
Core of the activity Creating more space for root growth (for vegetables) Raising machan for proper spreading, flowering and fruiting of plants Collective monitoring, planning and local marketing Trained Community Resource Persons for handholding support Irrigation/WHS/strengthening drainage channels
Basic principles The poorest in the community can be targeted. It enhances monetary returns to the participant families. It can be replicated among small and marginal farmers for regular cash inflow at the household level. Share croppers and landless households can also benefit from this.
Current Investment and Economic Analysis The investment per family varies between Rs 5000/-(Rupees Five thousand only) to Rs 10,000/-(Rupees ten thousand only) depending upon the topography, catchment area and quality of land. Current investment is Rs 7000/-per family (Rs 6000/- on infrastructure and Rs 1000/- on Agriculture intervention including Machan vidhi). The return is in terms of food security (additional gains), nutritional security and a cash income in the range of Rs 5000/- to Rs 15000/- through machan vidhi vegetables integrated with root intensification. A group of 30-50 farmers in a village can implement and execute this project collectively.
Cost of one unit (50 households with 25-30 acres)
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Sr N.
Particulars
Amount(Rs)
1
WHS, Command area development
250,000.00
2
One borewell
120,000.00
3
Agriculture intervention
30,000.00
4
Training and capacity building
50,000.00
5
Techno-managerial assistance
50,000.00
Total
500,000.00 Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Thus the investment per family is Rs 10,000.00. This ensures round the year food and nutritional security with cash income for household needs.
Strategies for upscaling Interventions required are: Creating space in market and linking the market with small and marginal cultivators Linking with KVKs and other government departments and banks Creating WHS/irrigation infrastructures to support the interventions
Constraints Non-availability of funds for such investments is the major constraints for this initiative. The government can take up these interventions at a Promoting vegetables through Machan Vidhi large scale to address poverty of small and marginal farmers. There is no support for small producers from the market. Mandis exclusively for small and marginal farmers market need to be created in small cities and towns to mainstream these poor households. There should be large-scale skill building of small and marginal farmers on Machan Vidhi integrated with root intensification methods of vegetables cultivation. These poor farmers need to be organized in groups and with mutual help and collective efforts they would bring changes in their lives. Vegetable preservation centers would also help in scaling up these activities, as more small and marginal farmers will join the activities.
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Upscaling Innovative Technologies on Rain Water Management This innovation has been undertaken by Panjabrao Deshmukh Agricultural University
Core of the activities Appropriate land configurations would provide more efficient in-situ water conservation of erratic rainfall events. Cultivation and sowing across the slope or on contour with opening of furrows enhances the availability of soil water, fragile tilth soil facilitates favourable soil environment for root growth at initial plant growth period and mulching reduces evaporative loses from the soil surface at the later stages of plant growth. Rainwater conservation practices adopted to reduce the loss of soil water through evaporation have recorded higher yield of rainfed crops. In-situ rainwater conservation practices with specific land configurations improves soil porosity, water intake rate and reduces the runoff, where as opening of deep furrows in between the crop rows during monsoon conserve the stored soil water through decreased evaporation by reduced capillaries, results in reduced evaporation and act as soil much and increases the time of runoff concentration. The excess rain water after storage in profile with different land configurations enhances the moisture content which can be used during moisture stress period through seepage system of rain water utilization. After the second step, the excess rain water harvested in to the farm ponds constructed in the lowest position of the catchments from the various part of the operational area. This stored runoff was recycled for the life saving irrigations during dry spells of monsoon season and during rabi at deficits moisture situation. This enhances the rainwater use efficiency in terms of more crop per drop. The benefits of adoption of the above cultivation practices over traditional practice of cultivation along the slope from experiences of Punjabrao Deshmukh Agricultural University, Akola, are discussed hereafter.
Deep cultivation: The soil moisture content was found enhanced by 22.72, 19.14 and 26.93 per cent in cotton sole, soybean sole and intercrop of cotton+soybean (1:2) respectively over shallow cultivation. The yield levels in sole crop of cotton and soybean enhanced by 11.34 and 20.05 per cent respectively. However in intercropping system of cotton + soybean (1:2) the yield of cotton and soybean enhanced by 36.84 and 36.95 per cent respectively over the period of 12 years (1995-96 to 2009-10). Similarly the rain water use efficiency in sole crop of cotton and soybean found enhanced from 0.98 to 1.09 and 1.24 to 1.49 kg/ha/mm respectively. However in intercrop of cotton + soybean was observed enhanced from 0.54 to 0.74 kg/ha/mm in cotton and from 0.81 to 1.11 kg/ha/mm in soybean. From the results it is concluded that deep cultivation gives the better performance in terms of enhanced productivity and rainwater use efficiency in sole and intercropping system of cotton and soybean over shallow cultivation.
Across the slope cultivation: The soil moisture content enhanced by 5.00 to 45.57 per cent in Cotton, Soybean, Green gram (Mung), Jowar, and Pigeonpea (Tur) and similarly during semi rabi in Sunflower soil moisture content enhanced by 9.78 to 35.80 per cent at 15 to 60 cm depth respectively. The yield levels enhanced by 36.00 to 144 per cent in Cotton, Soybean, Green gram (Mung), and Hy. Jowar. In intercrop Green gram (Mung) + Pigeonpea (Tur), the yields of Green gram (Mung) enhanced by 80.00 per cent and Pigeonpea (Tur) by 17.64 per cent. Similarly in Soybean + Pigeonpea (Tur), the yields enhanced by 20.83 per cent in Soybean and by 25.00 per cent in 34
Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
Across the slope cultivation
Pigeonpea (Tur)) and in Sunflower during semi rabi the yields enhanced by 25 per cent. Rain water use efficiency (WUE) enhanced from 0.35 1.25 to 0.61 1.75 kgha-mm -1, in Cotton, Soybean, Green gram (Mung), Black gram (Udid) and Hy. Jowar. In intercrop Green gram (Mung)+Pigeonpea (Tur) the rain water use efficiency enhanced from 0.25 0.43 to 0.33 0.50 kgha-mm-1 and in Soybean+Pigeonpea (Tur) enhanced from 1.20 0.40 to 1.45 0.50 kgha-mm -1. In Sunflower during semi rabi rain water use efficiency enhanced from 1.09 to 1.37 kgha-mm-1.
The economics in terms of gross monitory return, net monitory return and B:C ratio considering the prevailing market price of in-put and out-put enhanced from 1.19 to 2.15 in cotton, soybean, green gram (Mung), black gram (Udid), Hy.Jowar and sunflower (semirabi). In intercrops of soybean + pigeonpea (Tur) and green gram (Mung) + pigeonpea (Tur). The B:C ratio increased from 1.51 to 1.71 and 1.22 to 1.44 respectively. The gross water productivity enhanced from 14.96 to 40.86 Rs ha-mm-1 in cotton, soybean, green gram (Mung), black gram (Udid), Hy. Jowar and sunflower (semirabi). In intercrop of soybean + pigeonpea (Tur) and green gram (Mung ) + pigeonpea (Tur) The gross water productivity increase for 41.66 to 50.97 and 26.81 to 34.76 Rs ha-mm -1 respectively.
Opening of alternate furrow in across the slope cultivation: The soil moisture content enhanced by 10.92 to 62.96 per cent in Cotton, Soybean Hy. Jowar, and Pigeonpea (Tur). The yields enhanced by 40 to 44 per cent in Cotton, Soybean and Hy. Jowar. In intercrop of Soybean+Pigeonpea (Tur), yield of Soybean enhanced by 37.50 per cent and Pigeonpea (Tur) by 87.50 per cent. The rain water use efficiency enhanced from 0.35 1.25 to 1.05 1.80 kgha-mm -1in Cotton, Soybean and Hy. Jowar and in intercrop of Soybean + Pigeonpea (Tur), the rain water use efficiency enhanced from 1.20 Alternate furrows 0.40 to 1.65 - 0.75 kgha-mm -1 . The economics in terms of B:C ratio and the gross water productivity increased from 1.19 to 2.00 and 15.66 to 42.06 Rs ha-mm-1 in Cotton, Soybean and Hy. Jowar and in intercrop Soybean + Pigeonpea (Tur) B:C ratio increased from 1.51 to 2.15 and the gross water productivity from 41.66 to 64.89 Rs ha-mm -1 respectively.
Contour cultivation: The soil moisture content enhanced by 10.92 to 68.67 per cent in Cotton, Soybean, Hy. Jowar, Pigeonpea (Tur), Black gram (Udid) and Green gram (Mung) crops at 15 to 60 cm depth and data in Table 5 (a) indicated that the yield enhanced by 52 to 300 per cent in Cotton, Soybean Hy. Jowar, Black gram (Udid) and Green Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
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Contour cultivation
gram (Mung). In intercrop of Green gram (Mung) + Pigeonpea (Tur) the yields enhanced by 120 and 76.47 per cent and in Soybean + Pigeonpea (Tur) by 54.16 to 90 per cent over conventional method. Rain water use efficiency (WUE) enhanced from 0.35 1.25 to 1.00 1.93 kgha-mm -1 in Cotton, Soybean, Hy. Jowar, Black gram (Udid), and Green gram (Mung). In inter crop of Green gram (Mung)+Pigeonpea (Tur) the rain water use efficiency enhanced from 0.25 to 0.55 in Green gram (Mung) and from 0.43 to 0.75 kgha-mm -1 in Pigeonpea (Tur). Similarly in Soybean+Pigeonpea (Tur) rain water usage efficiency enhanced from 1.20 0.40 to 1.85 0.76 kgha-mm -1.
The benefit cost (B:C) ratio enhanced from 1.19 to 3.08 in Cotton, Soybean, Hy. Jowar, Black gram (Udid), and Green gram (Mung), In intercrops Green gram (Mung)+Pigeonpea (Tur) and Soybean+Pigeonpea (Tur) B:C ratio increased from 1.22 to 2.06 and 1.51 to 2.26. Gross Water productivity enhance from 14.96 to 45.66 Rs ha-mm -1 in Cotton, Soybean, Green gram (Mung), Black gram (Udid), Hy. Jowar and Sunflower (Semirabi). In intercrop of Green gram (Mung)+Pigeonpea (Tur) and Soybean+Pigeonpea (Tur) the gross water productivity increased from 26.81 to 51.95 and 41.66 to 69.68 Rs ha-mm-1 respectively.
Opening of alternate furrows in contour cultivation : The moisture content enhanced by 12.63 to 74.70 per cent in Cotton and Soybean. The yields enhanced by 58.00 per cent in Soybean and 80.00 per cent in Cotton. In intercrop of Soybean + Pigeonpea (Tur) the yield, of Soybean enhanced by 58.33 per cent and Pigeonpea (Tur) by 125 per cent.Rain water use efficiency (WUE) in Cotton enhanced from 0.75 to 1.35 kgha-mm 1 and in Soybean enhanced from 1.25 to 1.97 kgha-mm-1. In intercrop of Soybean + Pigeonpea (Tur), the rain water use efficiency enhanced from 1.20 to 1.90 kghamm-1 in Soybean and from 0.40 to 0.90 kgha-mm -1 in Pigeonpea (Tur).
Alternate furrows in contour cultivation
The B:C ratio in Cotton enhanced from 1.19 to 1.84 and in Soybean enhanced from 1.53 to 2.04. In intercrop, Soybean + Pigeonpea (Tur), the B:C ratio enhanced from 1.51 to 2.43. Gross water productivity in Cotton and Soybean enhanced from 26.28 to 47.32 and 30.04 to 47.47 Rs ha-mm-1. In intercrop Soybean+Pigeonpea (Tur) water productivity from 41.66 to 76.11Rs ha-mm -1.
Opening of tide furrows in crop rows sown along the slope When the farmers do not have any other option than to cultivate his land along the slope in such cases it is recommended to open tide furrows in crop rows at the time of first hoeing. The soil moisture content enhanced by 3.24 to 15.82 per cent in Cotton, Soybean and Hy. Jowar at 15 to 60 cm depth. The yield levels enhanced by 4.16 to 12.00 per cent, B:C ratio enhanced from 1.19 to 1.55 and gross water productivity enhanced from 15.66 to 31.54 Rs ha-mm -1 in Cotton, Soybean and Hy. Jowar. The rain 36
Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
water use efficiency enhanced from 1.25 to 1.30 kgha-mm-1 in Soybean and 0.75 to 0.90 kgha-mm-1 in Cotton and from 1.25 to 1.40 kgha-mm-1 in Hy. Jowar.
Agro-Horticulture System : The agro-horticulture systems, Aonla + Pigeonpea (Tur), Mango+Cotton and Custard apple+Green gram (Mung) agrohorticultural system were developed in across the slope cultivation in vertisols. The systems were introduce to reduce the risk in rainfed farming in saline tract of Purna river valley. Tide furrows
Rainfed rabi in Vertisols : Cultivated fallow during kharif: Across the slope cultivation the soil moisture content enhanced by 13.42 to 42.94 per cent at 15 to 60 cm depth. The yields of Gram enhanced by 35.00 per cent. Rain water use efficiency enhanced from 1.15 to 1.50 kgha-mm -1, B:C ratio from 2.01 to 2.20 and gross water productivity from 23.03 to 30.04 Rs ha-mm -1 . In contour cultivation with opening of contour furrows at 20 m HI enhanced the yield of Gram by 67.39 per cent, rain water use efficiency from 1.15 to 1.92 kgha-mm -1, B:C ratio from 2.01 to 2.63 and gross water productivity from 23.03 to 38.55 Rs ha-mm -1. The development of Square basin lay out (20 m x 20 m) prior to rainy season enhanced the yields of Gram by 65.21 per cent, rain water use efficiency from 1.15 to 1.90 kgha-mm-1, B:C ratio from 2.01 to 2.59 and in gross water productivity from 23.03 to 38.05 Rs ha-mm 1.
Green manuring during kharif: Across the slope cultivation with Green manuring in kharif enhanced the soil moisture content by 5.00 to 37.42 per cent, yield of Gram in rabi by 20.00 per cent, rain water use efficiency from 1.00 to 1.20 kghamm-1, B:C ratio from 1.74 to 1.76 and gross water productivity from 20.03 to 24.03 Rs ha-mm -1. In contour cultivation with green manuring in kharif enhanced the soil moisture content by 12.50 to 73.00 per cent, yields of Gram by 70.00 per cent , rain water use efficiency from 1.00 to 1.70 kgha-mm-1, B:C ratio from 1.74 to 2.32 and gross water productivity from 20.03 to 34.05 Rs ha-mm -1. The development of square basin lay out (20 x 20 m) with Green manuring in kharif enhanced the soil moisture content by 11.53 to 74.84 per cent, yield of Gram by 75.00 per cent , rain water use efficiency from 1.00 to 1.75 kghamm-1, B:C ratio from 1.74 to 2.29 and gross water productivity from 20.03 to 35.05 Rs ha-mm -1.
Gram in rabi as a second crop after Green gram (Mung) in kharif : Across the slope cultivation after Green gram (Mung) enhanced the soil moisture content by 4.03 to 37.64 per cent at 15 to 60 cm depth, yields of Gram enhanced by 30.00 per cent, rain water use efficiency enhanced from 1.25 to 1.62 kgha-mm-1, B:C ratio from 2.19 to 2.38 and gross water productivity enhanced from 25.03 to 32.54 Rs ha-mm-1. The contour cultivation with Green gram (Mung) in kharif enhanced the soil moisture content by 7.42 to 53.93 per cent at 15 to 60 cm depth, yield of Gram by 44.96 per cent, rain water use efficiency from 1.25 to 1.81 kgha-mm -1, B:C ratio from 2.19 to 2.48 and gross water productivity from 25.03 to 36.29 Rs ha-mm-1.
Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
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Gram in rabi as a second crop after Soybean in kharif : Across the slope cultivation with Soybean in kharif enhanced the yield of Gram by 25.00 per cent, rain water use efficiency from 1.00 to 1.25 kgha-mm -1 B:C ratio from 1.75 to 1.83 and gross water productivity from 20.03 to 25.03 Rs ha-mm-1. In contour cultivation with Soybean in kharif enhanced the yield of Gram by 67.50 per cent, rain water use efficiency from 1.00 to 1.67 kgha-mm -1, B:C ratio from 1.75 to 2.29 and gross water productivity from 20.03 to 33.55 Rs ha-mm -1.
Rainfall Harvesting : In vertisols and specially in saline tract of Vidarbha region in Amravati, Buldana and Akola districts collection of runoff in to the farm ponds or community tanks is most important and need of the day to provide the protective irrigation at least to some part of the holding of the farmer.
Protective Irrigation : Application of protective irrigation in vertisol by sprinkler and MIS of 50 mm depth for raising crops during non rainy periods enhancing the water use efficiency, water and crop productivity.
Protective irrigation in Kharif Two protective irrigations through drip and sprinkler system from farm pond enhanced yields of Cotton by 126.47 and 115.68 per cent, rain water use efficiency from 1.02 to 2.10 & 2.00 kgha-mm-1 respectively. The B:C ratio enhanced from 1.47 to 2.76 & 2.72 and gross water productivity from 37.55 to 73.60 & 70.09 Rs ha-mm 1 .respectively. One protective irrigation to Soybean through sprinkler from farm pond enhanced the yield by 20.00 per cent, rain water use efficiency from 1.75 to 1.99 kgha-mm -1, the B:C ratio from 1.92 to 2.10 and gross water productivity from 42.06 to 46.22 Rs ha-mm -1. One protective irrigation through drip and sprinkler system from form pond enhanced the yield of pigeonpea (Tur) by 63.33 and 56.66 per cent, rain water use efficiency 0.75 to 1.22 & 1.17 kgha-mm-1, the B:C ratio from 1.47 to 2.18 and 2.09 and gross water productivity from 28.54 to 44.82 & 42.99 Rs ha-mm-1 respectively.
1.
Protective irrigation in Rabi
The one protective irrigation through sprinklers from Purna River and farm pond to Gram (second crop after Soybean) enhanced the yield by 75 per cent, rain water use efficiency from 1.00 to 1.74 kgha-mm 1 , the B:C ratio from 1.46 to 2.39 and gross water productivity from 20.00 to 37.70 Rs ha-mm-1. One protective irrigation through sprinkler from river and open well to Gram (second crop of after Green gram (Mung) enhanced the yields by 19.00 per cent with rain water use efficiency from 1.25 to 1.89 kgha-mm -1, the B:C ratio from 1.83 to 2.59 and gross water productivity from 25.03 to 36.59 Rs ha-mm -1 .
Possible outreach and strategies for upscaling Almost three fourth of the cultivated area in India and even in Maharashtra is not irrigated. In Vidarbha, about 93 per cent of the total cropped area is rainfed and this results in large annual fluctuations in crop production. The scope for increasing irrigation potential appears to be very limited. All attempts to store the rainfall effectively in the soil profile, between the bunds and check dams and in farm ponds need to be 38
Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development
made on large area, so that the rainfall can effectively be utilized in rainfed agriculture. Subsequent crop improvement measures such as intercropping, across the slope cultivation, contour farming, timely implementation of all agricultural operations, adoption of improved varieties etc. are components of the integrated package of rainfed agricultural technology. This can only be possible by linking the farming with attempts of drought proofing. Providing the means of higher and prolonged residual soil moisture conservation to every farmer in the river basin are must, so that weather vagaries can be considerably managed, which rescue the farmers. Insitu recharge of rain water which calls for land treatments in such a fashion that the maximum water of rainfall infiltrates into the soil profile and it becomes available to the crop during the prolonged monsoon break. Efficiently utilization of rain water (yield per unit of water used) is the only way of boosting agricultural production. Because of the fragile nature of the ecosystem, the rainwater management in rainfed agriculture in the river basin for soil and water conservation is of paramount importance, and shall receive top priority in rainfed farming as they form the foundation for the sustainable agriculture. Water resources development stimulates all further development in the river basin in all respects. All attempts to store the rainfall in soil profile between the bunds, check dam and farm ponds needs to be done upto the full extent in the entire river basin for effective and efficient utilization in rainfed agriculture. Subsequently, in order to reduce the runoff soil and nutrient losses and to enhance the crop productivity, the crop improvement measures such as across the slope and contour cultivation with vegetative contour key lines and land configurations like opening of furrows, development of sown silvipasture system on the shallow and waste land in the river basin, timely implementation of all agricultural operations, adoption of improved varieties are the few component of sustainable rainfed agriculture in the river basin. This of course will need the participation of farmers in the river basin to reduce the runoff, soil and nutrient losses and to enhance the crop productivity and to decrease the sediment load and concentration of chemicals to avoid the adverse consequences on the function of the rivers and ecosystems. Therefore, in this context there is a full scope for further expansion of these innovations.
FarmersÂ’ feed-back Drought is a common feature in the Vidarbha region and about 89 per cent of total cultivated land is under rainfed agriculture. Further, the scope for increasing the irrigation potential, appears to be very limited. Under such circumstances, now the farmers participating in this programme have given their feedback as under, i)
Efficient utilization of Water (Yield per unit of Water used) is the only way of boosting agricultural production.
ii) Due to the fragile nature of the ecosystem, rainwater management in rainfed agriculture/water conservation is of paramount importance and receives top priority in rainfed farming as they form the foundation for the sustainable agriculture. iii) Water resources development by way of increasing the moisture content in the soil profile, conserving the soil and nutrient stimulate all further development in the rainfed farming. iv) Reforms in cultivation practices and such as deep cultivations and across the slope cultivation, opening of furrows in between the alternate crop rows after 30 days of sowing similarly contour cultivation including the opening of contour furrows in alternate crop rows, opening of tied furrows in between the crop rows sown along the slope, timely implementation of agricultural operations, adoption of improved varieties etc. are components of the integrated package of rainfed agriculture. v)
Improvement in the rainfed agriculture is only possible by linking the farming with attempts of insitu soil and water conservation cultivation practices.
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vi) Providing the means of higher and prolonged residual soil moisture conservation to every farmer is a must at least to the part of his holding alone, so that the weatherÂ’s vagaries, can be considerably modified and will come to the rescue of farmers. vii) Demonstrated technologies are easy for adoption, affordable and able to reduce the runoff, soil loss and nutrient losses and enhancing moisture content etc. viii) Finally the farmers are of the opinion that the adoption of these technologies enhanced the productivity in the kharif season by way of providing the required moisture to the crop during the prolonged monsoonic break by conserving the rainwater or by providing protective irrigation from the farm ponds. ix) Few farmers have given their opinion to provide the additional credit from banks and subsidy on priority to the farmers who wish to adopt these technologies. x)
Large scale demonstration should be conducted at each village to make the farmers aware about these technologies.
Constraints: For upscaling these technologies, capacity building of the farmers along with financial support is the major cited constraint.
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Innovative Technologies in Agriculture & Rural Development