Record Details

Landscape resource management for sustainable crop intensification

OAR@ICRISAT

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/11943/
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac413a
doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ac413a
 
Title Landscape resource management for sustainable crop intensification
 
Creator Anantha, K H
Garg, K K
Singh, R
Akuraju, V
Dev, I
Petrie, C A
Whitbread, A M
Dixit, S
 
Subject Livelihoods
Semi-Arid Tropics
Water Resources
 
Description Crop intensification is required to meet the food demands of an increasing population. This paper presents data from three paired scaling-up initiatives to compare the benefits of landscape-based interventions over individual plot-level interventions using evidence generated in the Indian
semi-arid tropics. A range of soil and water conservation interventions were implemented in a decentralized manner following the landscape-based approach. The plot-level approach focused only on balanced fertilizer application and improved crop cultivars while the landscape-based
interventions primarily addressed moisture availability, which was the key to reducing risks of crop failure besides aiding productivity gain and enhanced land and water-use efficiency. These interventions have additionally harvested 50–150 mm of surface runoff and facilitated groundwater
recharge in 550–800 mm rainfall zones. Individual plot-level interventions also improved the crop yield significantly over the control plots. However, crop intensification was not achieved due to limited moisture availability. Landscape-based interventions produced 100%–300% higher crop
production per year, greater income generation (>100%), and improved water productivity. Landscape-based interventions were also found to be beneficial in terms of reducing soil loss by 75%–90% and improving base flow availability additionally by 20–75 d in a year compared to untreated watersheds. With increased moisture availability, fallow lands in respective watersheds have been utilized for cultivation, thereby enhancing crop intensification. The findings of the study provide critical insights into the design of approaches suitable for scaling-up projects in order to both create impact and target the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
 
Publisher IOP Publishing
 
Date 2021-12-22
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/11943/1/2022_ERL_Anantha%20et%20al.pdf
Anantha, K H and Garg, K K and Singh, R and Akuraju, V and Dev, I and Petrie, C A and Whitbread, A M and Dixit, S (2021) Landscape resource management for sustainable crop intensification. Environmental Research Letters (TSI), 17 (1). pp. 1-19. ISSN 1748-9326