Project Components : Agriculture

Agriculture

Agriculture and Horticulture Development
One of the basic objectives of the ongoing and the Follow-on Projects is to bring about significant improvement in agriculture and horticulture production through increased productivity resulting in enhanced income levels of the large majority of small and marginal farmers. This component is crucial to the success of the project. Major goal is to increase family incomes in the communities who are partially or completely dependent on tank systems. For families who own or have access to land in the command areas of a tank, there is scope to increase agricultural production and incomes. Improvements to the agricultural production systems will depend on increasing farmer knowledge, based on location-specific, on-farm demonstrations of improved cropping systems and practices, water management practices and on farmer training. The determination of what would be the specific activities undertaken at each tank would be based on activities identified in an ITDP prepared for each tank. The preparation of an ITDP would depend on thorough participatory discussions between the communities, implementation teams and technical specialists from line departments and Universities.
The ongoing project is implementing this component through the UAS Bangalore and Dharwad and the available feedback and experience would be taken into consideration while formulating these programmes. Selection of the programme would be left to the individual TUGs who would incorporate this sub component in the ITDPs prepared by them. Broadly, the following would be the activities to be supported under the Follow-on Project. On-farm research activities on various aspects of water and irrigation management were undertaken under the ongoing project. The Follow-on Project would lay emphasis on transfer of technologies through demonstrations. Similar demonstrations with improved technologies related to agriculture are being implemented by the line departments with the similar objectives and goals. Quite a number of schemes were also implemented by the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments in association with the JSYS in project districts. This joint effort would strengthen the capacities of the community to bring changes in water management, cropping pattern, increased cropping intensity, etc. The agriculture and horticulture development component would include all the components of the ongoing project. In view of existing manpower and infrastructure built up with JSYS support in the existing project, it is desirable to continue the collaboration with existing agencies like UAS, Bangalore and UAS, Dharwad. However, in case of some components other reputed NGOs may also be considered. As in the on going project, the UAS, Bangalore and Dharwad would continue to be contracted to carrying out OFDS, training, capacity building programmes and special studies. The project would focus more on important aspects such as achieving water use efficiency through new technologies and shifts in cropping pattern, adoption of integrated management practices. The project support would be available for on farm demonstration of: (a) Improved water management practices (105), (b) Arable crops (105), (c) Horticulture crops (105) and (d) Improved Fodder crops (40).
On-farm demonstrations would be established in a cluster of about 20-30 local tanks, with 80 tank clusters defined for the 2,000 tanks to be included in the project. A total of five demonstrations covering improved on-farm water management (in two tanks) and arable / field (in two tanks) demos and horticulture crop production improvement (in one tank) would be conducted in both kharif and rabi/summer seasons over a two-year period following from the planning stage of tank rehabilitation works in each local tank cluster.
Training activities would be aimed at increasing the technical knowledge and skills of district and taluk. JSYS and CFT staff and farmers in tank command areas. Two farmers and two farm women per TMI for such trainings that would include both classroom and on farm trainings. One farmer and one farm women would be taken for Study Tours apart from participating in state level workshops. About 30 farmers per tank would be participating Farmer Field School for one full crop season. To promote other income generating activities for members of local tank communities who have little or no access to land in tank command areas. About 10% of the tanks would be given technical assistance for establishing one ha., for Forage Production followed by 5 units of milch animals for effective milk production. To take up Participatory Technology Development (Pilot studies) i.e., new technologies suited to the general conditions found in tanks and their dependent communities. This would consist of: Efficient irrigation methods such as testing and developing low pressure drip and pipe irrigation systems; Conjunctive use of surface and groundwater in tank command areas; other equipment for water control, monitoring, and management; Promoting new pilot technologies on siltation & desiltation Techniques for the development in each Agro Climatic Zone of the project districts
Consultants to Implement the Agriculture Activities
University of Agricultural Sciences , Bangalore for following districts.
Kolar Tumkur Chintradurga
University of Agricultural Sciences , Dharwad for following districts.
Bagalkot Bidar Bellary Haveri Raichur Koppal