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Managing soil fertility constraints in market-led shift to high value agriculture for benefiting smallholders in the semi-arid tropics

OAR@ICRISAT

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/7292/
http://ejournal.icrisat.org/Volume11/Agroecosystems/Managing_Girish.pdf
 
Title Managing soil fertility constraints in market-led shift to high value agriculture for benefiting smallholders in the semi-arid tropics
 
Creator Chander, G
Wani, S P
Maheshwer, D L
Hemalatha, P
Sahrawat, K L
Krishnappa, K
Sawargaonkar, G L
Anantha, K H
Sudi, R
Jangawad, L S
Srinivasa Rao, Ch
Pardhasaradhi, G
Jat, R A
 
Subject Soil Science
Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics
 
Description Low productivity and cultivation of low value crops in
the Indian semi-arid tropics (SAT) is the main cause for
poor farm-based livelihoods. Poverty leading to low risktaking
ability of farmers and production related
constraints like widespread multi-nutrient deficiencies
are major stumbling blocks for shifting to high value
agriculture. Realizing the need to support povertyentrapped
smallholders to connect to markets, the
government of Karnataka state in India supported
market-led shift to high value agriculture through a
consortium of technical institutions and convergence of
agricultural schemes. New widespread deficiencies of
secondary and micronutrients like sulfur (52% farms),
zinc (55%) and boron (62%) along with earlier known
deficiencies of nitrogen (52%) and phosphorus (41%)
were identified as main constraints for realizing
productivity potential and a threat for sustainability.
Policy supported initiative during 2011/12 showed more
economic returns with diversified high value crops and
strengthened 0.23 million smallholders. On-farm
evaluations of soil test-based nutrient balancing to
tomato, okra, brinjal, chilies, onion, cabbage and beans
increased productivity by 5 to 58% over the farmers’
practice of adding macronutrients only. Small additional
cost (` 770 to 1520 per ha) of balanced nutrition
significantly increased additional benefits (` 5300 to
74,000 per ha) with fairly high cost-benefit ratio (1:4 to
1:82). Substantial returns enhanced risk-taking ability of
smallholders to manage productivity constraints in future
by themselves. Results showed that initial little
investments in science and market-led social assistance
programs should be a way forward for mainstreaming
poverty-entrapped smallholders in other parts of SAT.
 
Publisher International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
 
Date 2013
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Rights —
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/7292/1/JSATAgriRes_Dec_v11_ManagingSoil_2013.pdf
Chander, G and Wani, S P and Maheshwer, D L and Hemalatha, P and Sahrawat, K L and Krishnappa, K and Sawargaonkar, G L and Anantha, K H and Sudi, R and Jangawad, L S and Srinivasa Rao, Ch and Pardhasaradhi, G and Jat, R A (2013) Managing soil fertility constraints in market-led shift to high value agriculture for benefiting smallholders in the semi-arid tropics. Journal of SAT Agricultural Research, 11. pp. 1-11. ISSN 0973-3094