This book brings together the results of a novel scaling-up initiative of the Bhoochetana Mission Program implemented during 2009-2012 in Karnataka. The second phase of Bhoochetana covers all 30 districts for both irrigated and dryland crops with strong leadership by the Government of Karnataka with technical support from ICRISAT. The book, consisting of 12 chapters, covers the micro to macro perspective, and describes in detail how the Bhoochetana Mission Program was conceived and has evolved to reach more than 5 million farmers in 4 years. The chapters describe soil nutrient mapping as a knowledge-based entry point for building rapport with the community and ensuring good community participation. New technologies such as geographical information system (GIS), information and communications technology (ICT), knowledge dissemination, monitoring and evaluation as well as analytical tools in addition to innovations in the areas of institutions, policies and delivery mechanisms have also contributed immensely to achieving the desired impact, and all these aspects have been covered in a number of chapters.

• Harnessing Dividends from Drylands: Innovative Scaling up with Soil Nutrients
• Copyright
• Contents
• Contributors
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• 1: Drylands for Food Security: A Macro Perspective
  • 1.1 Introduction
  • 1.2 A Changing World
  • 1.3 Dryland Development Dynamics: Global Level
  • 1.4 Food Insecurity in Drylands
  • 1.5 Crop Yields in Drylands
  • 1.6 Untapped Potential: Rainfed Crops
  • 1.7 Rainfed Agriculture: Key Constraints
    • 1.7.1 Soil health: a key driver
  • 1.8 Silent Revolution in Drylands: Meta-analysis
  • 1.9 Indian Agriculture
    • 1.9.1 An overview
    • 1.9.2 Price policy supports dryland crops
    • 1.9.3 Challenges
  • 1.10 Towards an Innovative Strategy
  • Notes
  • References
• 2: Evolution of Bhoochetana
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 How Bhoochetana Evolved
  • 2.3 Concept
  • 2.4 Identification of Constraints for Harnessing the Potential and Addressing Demand and Supply Needs
  • 2.5 Process Steps
  • 2.6 Key Tasks Performed
  • 2.7 Key Drivers
  • 2.8 Holistic Participatory Approach
  • 2.9 Outcomes of Bhoochetana
  • 2.10 Champions at Higher Policy Level
  • 2.11 Rejuvenated Extension System
  • 2.12 Regular Monitoring and Evaluations
  • 2.13 Lessons Learnt
  • 2.14 Scaling up and Scaling out the Bhoochetana Initiative
  • 2.15 Epilogue
  • Notes
  • References
• 3: Soil Nutrient Mapping for On-farm Fertility Management
  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 Soil Infertility – A Major Constraint in Addition to Water Shortage
  • 3.3 Identifying a Suitable Entry Point Activity (EPA)
  • 3.4 Use of Soil Testing as an EPA
  • 3.5 Soil Sampling Methodology and Soil Analysis
  • 3.6 Knowledge Sharing with Farmers
  • 3.7 Correlations Among Soil Parameters
  • 3.8 General Discussion and Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• 4: Human Capacity Development to Adopt Best Practices
  • 4.1 Introduction
  • 4.2 Framework for Human Capacity Development
  • 4.3 Linking Knowledge to Action through Capacity Development
  • 4.4 Consortium and Collective Action for Human Capacity Development
    • 4.4.1 Department of Agriculture (DoA)
    • 4.4.2 State agricultural universities (SAUs)
    • 4.4.3 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)
    • 4.4.4 ICRISAT
  • 4.5 Building Human Capacity at Different Levels
    • 4.5.1 Team-building workshops at the state level
    • 4.5.2 Regular review and planning workshops
    • 4.5.3 District-level training
    • 4.5.4 Taluk/block-level training
    • 4.5.5 Institutional training for farm facilitators (FFs)
    • 4.5.6 Cluster-village-level training
    • 4.5.7 Farmer field schools
    • 4.5.8 Field days
    • 4.5.9 Awareness campaigns in the villages
  • 4.6 Tools to Create Awareness and Skill Development
    • 4.6.1 Soil health cards
    • 4.6.2 Wall writings and media
    • 4.6.3 Internet
    • 4.6.4 Tablet-based knowledge sharing
    • 4.6.5 Farmer-to-farmer videos for sharing success stories
  • 4.7 Summary
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• 5: Digital Technologies for Agricultural Extension
  • 5.1 Introduction
    • 5.1.1 Strengthening the extension system through digital technologies
    • 5.1.2 Digital technology for agricultural extension: the Indian context
  • 5.2 E-tablet-based Extension Tools
    • 5.2.1 Devices and computing infrastructure
    • 5.2.2 Krishi Gyan Sagar (KGS)
    • 5.2.3 Krishi Vani
    • 5.2.4 Useful utility tools on the android tablet
  • 5.3 Dissemination from Farmer to Farmer
  • 5.4 Constraints
  • 5.5 Way Forward: Digital AES as a Public–Private Partnership (PPP) Model
  • References
• 6: Institutional Arrangements and Innovations
  • 6.1 Introduction
  • 6.2 Bhoochetana: A Mission Programme
  • 6.3 Building Institutional Partnerships
  • 6.4 Process of Conceptualization, Implementation and Scaling up of Bhoochetana
  • 6.5 High-level Policy Support
  • 6.6 Effective Planning and Monitoring
  • 6.7 Ensuring Availability of Micronutrients at Village Level
  • 6.8 Outcome of Good Governance: Institutional Building
  • 6.9 Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
• 7: Climate Variability and Agriculture
  • 7.1 Introduction
  • 7.2 Agroecology of Karnataka
    • 7.2.1 Agroclimate
    • 7.2.2 Agroecological subregions
  • 7.3 Climate Variability and Change in Karnataka
    • 7.3.1 Rainfall and temperature variability
    • 7.3.2 Changes in areas under climate types
    • 7.3.3 ICRISAT’s hypothesis of hope to address climate variability and change
  • 7.4 Rainfall Situation During 2001–2013
    • 7.4.1 Rainfall situation during 2009 and 2010
    • 7.4.2 Rainfall situation during 2011 and 2012
    • 7.4.3 Rainfall situation during 2013
    • 7.4.4 Rainfall situation during 2009–2013
  • 7.5 Crop and Climate Interactions
    • 7.5.1 Performance of crops during 2009–2013
    • 7.5.2 Crop and rainfall interactions during 2011–2013
  • 7.6 The Way Ahead
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• 8: Crop Yield Estimation Strategy
  • 8.1 Introduction
    • 8.1.1 Historical background of yield estimations
    • 8.1.2 Rationale for crop sampling
  • 8.2 Estimation of Cropped Area, Crop Yield and Production
    • 8.2.1 Approaches for cropped area estimations
    • 8.2.2 Approaches for crop yield estimations
    • 8.2.3 CCEs: Government of India approach
    • 8.2.4 A consensus approach
  • 8.3 Results from Bhoochetana Crop Yield Estimation
  • 8.4 Discussion
  • 8.5 Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
• 9: An Integrated Approach for Productivity Enhancement
  • 9.1 Introduction
  • 9.2 Yield Gap Analysis
  • 9.3 The Concept of an Integrated Approach
  • 9.4 Integrated Watershed Management for Sustainable Development of Dryland Agriculture
  • 9.5 Bhoochetana: An Integrated Approach at the Production System Level
    • 9.5.1 Integrated nutrient management
    • 9.5.2 Soil and water conservation methods
    • 9.5.3 Cropping system management
    • 9.5.4 Innovative knowledge sharing approach
  • 9.6 Summary
  • 9.7 Conclusion
  • References
• 10: Water Productivity and Income
  • 10.1 Introduction
  • 10.2 Soil Fertility Mapping
  • 10.3 Spatial and Temporal Variability of Water Resources
  • 10.4 Impact of Bhoochetana on Crop Yield
    • 10.4.1 Crop yield with balanced fertilizer application
    • 10.4.2 Crop yield with rainfall variability
    • 10.4.3 Spatial distribution of crop yields
    • 10.4.4 Crop yields with improved varieties
  • 10.5 Impact of Bhoochetana on Water Productivity
  • 10.6 Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• 11: Social and Economic Benefits
  • 11.1 Introduction
  • 11.2 Soil Fertility Status
  • 11.3 Impact on Crop Yield and Biomass Production
    • 11.3.1 Crop yield and biomass estimation
    • 11.3.2 Impact on crop yield
    • 11.3.3 Total vegetative biomass production
    • 11.3.4 Spatial variation in grain yield and biomass production
  • 11.4 Profitability Analysis
    • 11.4.1 Crop yield and net income
    • 11.4.2 Benefit–cost (BC) ratio
    • 11.4.3 Net profits and additional value of crop production
  • 11.5 Measuring Social Benefits
    • 11.5.1 Reinvestment of additional income on asset formation
    • 11.5.2 Knowledge improvement
    • 11.5.3 Addressing gender equity
  • 11.6 The Way Forward
    • 11.6.1 Crop yield, biomass production and benefit of micronutrients
    • 11.6.2 Maximizing the profit due to an integrated approach
    • 11.6.3 Future scope for the integrated crop management approach
  • 11.7 Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• 12: Lessons Learnt and a Way Forward
  • 12.1 Introduction
  • 12.2 A Demand-driven Project
  • 12.3 Realistic Planning and Implementing a Strategy
  • 12.4 Identification of Constraints
  • 12.5 Knowledge-based Entry Point Activity
  • 12.6 A Community Participatory Approach is Essential for Impact
  • 12.7 Soil Health Information Dissemination to the Community and Policy Makers
  • 12.8 Enabling Policies and Proper Incentives
  • 12.9 Creation of an Alternate Extension Mechanism through Farm Facilitators (FFs) and Lead Farmers
  • 12.10 Seeing is Believing
    • 12.10.1 Field days for dissemination of results
    • 12.10.2 Farmer-to-farmer videos for effective dissemination
    • 12.10.3 Crop cutting experiments (CCEs)
  • 12.11 A Result-based Framework for Monitoring and Evaluation
    • 12.11.1 Weekly video conference
    • 12.11.2 Wider publicity
  • 12.12 Key Lessons Learnt
    • 12.12.1 Realistic planning
    • 12.12.2 Convergence
    • 12.12.3 Effective implementation and monitoring
    • 12.12.4 Scaling up
  • 12.13 Way Forward
  • References
• Index