THEMATIC NODE - Chetna Organic / FFID

REVITALISING RAINFED SOILS

Project period – September 2012 to August 2013 (8 months completed now)

Previous year’s engagement – On stand-alone pilots

Main objectives of the current project –• Provide models of systemic alternatives to overarching

design and implementation/reach of current soil fertility improvement interventions

• Demonstrate the required paradigm shift as ‘proof of concept’ in CP locations on large-scale/saturation-targeted using Government schemes and funds

• Innovate on the processes and investment structures for ensuring adoption of soil interventions

A.1. PROJECT OVERVIEW

# Name Edu background Role

1 Arun M S W Advisor

2 Dharmendar

M Sc (Ag) – soil science

Fulltime - Coordinator

3 Rashda PhD – Env. Sciences Fulltime - Researcher

4 Ramprasad

M.Sc (Ag) - Entomology

Partial

5 Ashok Agronomist Partial

6 Subbarao Agronomist Partial

7 Mujeeb Graduate Trained Resource (based out of AP)

8 Dingar Patel

Post Grad Trained Resource (Odisha)

9 Soon to hire

Post Grad (Agril or Env Sc)

Ad-hoc - SRF for lab analysis with CRIDA

HUMAN RESOURCES DEPLOYMENT

A. General picture

Problem analysis: • Soil Productivity declining; • Fertilisers as the only option (without conjunctive use of

organic matter) for soil productivity improvement despite their negative impacts economically and ecologically;

• Rainfed soils are marginalized; No special focus by public research and extension institutions

• Appropriate technologies (bulky organic matter) not considered despite huge research evidence;

A.2. CONTEXT OF SOIL NODE’S WORK

B. Field level (with CPs)

Baseline assessment: • Through typological comparative assessments, Rainfed soils receive

too little inputs; Crop productivities are relatively smaller• Except FYM there are no other interventions on organic mater

addition [exceptions CIKS (cattle penning) and SPS (NADEP composting, tank silt)].

• Soil Productivity Improvement methods are minimal - reasons being lack of awareness, no access to appropriate resources, no public support to address the issues

Implications on the programme• Rainfed soils occupying Larger area with Lesser crop productivities• Soils becoming unproductive and thereby affecting farmers livelihoods

A.2. CONTEXT OF SOIL NODE’S WORK

[Since the initiation of project period, the strategies and plans have been dynamically evolving and have stabilized

since December]

Strategies• Taking forward earlier efforts of 10 modules…• Packaging them into generic and location-specific

interventions

• Biomass based manure in rainfed soils and Green manuring in low lands/irrigated soils

• Tank silt application in light soils

• Liquid manures at individual level and enterprise level

• Need based legume intercropping

• Building a case/experience on the possibility of generating organic matter addition for 100 acres in each CP using biomass

• Situational analysis of the typologies with soils perspective

• Importance to the processes being adopted

A.3. STRATEGIES AND APPROACH

10 ways of soil fertility improvement1. Improve quality

and quantity of FYM/compost

2. Biomass based manure generation

3. Green manures and cropping systems

4. Concentrated manures

5. Soil amendments6. Livestock

penning7. Supplements8. Biofertilisers9. Liquid manures10.Mulching and

tillage

A.3. STRATEGIES AND APPROACH – FIRST YEAR

• Current Fertiliser use assessment in

CPs as against recommendations and appropriate action plan

• Generate Perspective Plans on soil productivity improvement using Government’ schemes and funds – GP level

• Knowledge management – trainings, review of literature, training resources, etc.

• Advocacy – generating evidence and perspectives appropriate technologies and supports

CP Locations1. WASSAN2. RRA-M –N3. ACT4. AKRSP5. CIKS6. VSK7. IDF8. SPS

Activities done so far

General• Consultations with experts and

institutions (CRIDA)• Inter-nodal collaborations -

(ALC and ResRA)• (Review articles)• Long-term soil health

monitoring (CRIDA)• Soils proposal at GP level –

Perspective plans • Trained resource persons• Communication- soils page on

website

B. 2 ACTIVITIES – STATUS, REASONS & LEARNINGS

Activities done so far

CPs• Field visits (twice) and

trainings to staff• Documentation and

Communication tools on soil productivity action

• Visits to CP level local public agencies for campaigning and resource support

• Intensive trainings to CP project persons

• Handholding on the activities - on-site trainings

Yet to start:• Write-shop on successful experiences on soil productivity

management• Draft on rainfed soils policy• Meta-analysis – studies on models based on organic matter

addition to soils

Did not happen (as yet)• Topics for Research studies have been roughly identified but

did not go forward. Clarity on priorities… and need for intensive inputs – will be revisited

• 12th FYP perspective on soils• Networking with researchers and practitioners – will happen

through write-shop

B. 2 ACTIVITIES – STATUS, REASONS & LEARNINGS

• The results of the interventions in CPs can be quantified by July end.

• Enhanced knowledge on soils management to the stakeholders

• Explored the public sector avenues for supporting soil interventions

• Association with experts and institutions

B. 6 RESULTS

• Soils interventions - suitable avenues majorly from Rural Development’s MGNREGA – so, much dependency on the scheme for Soil Node’s Interventions

• Our non-integration into its program cycle

• Changes in MGNREGA program strategies

• Lack of appropriate interventions getting into those plans

• Lack of rapport with GPs, District level agencies, etc

B. 7 KEY RISKS AND ASSSUMPTIONS

# Milestone Deadline

VSK ACT

IDF SPS AKRSP

CIKS

Remarks

1 Report on situation analysis

30 Dec NO NO NO YES YES YES recently

2 Training 3 Mar YES YES YES YES YES YES

3 Report on demand for OM

15 Jan NO NO NO YES YES YES recently

4 Access to Govt. funds 15 Jan YES NO YES NO NO NO VSK integrated.

IDF submitted

5 Digging of atleast 100 pits

15 Mar 750 58 90 30 13

6 Production of 1st round of compost

30 Jun On On On On On On

7 Sowing green manure in 25 acres atleast

30 Apr NO NO NO NO NO NO

8 Establishing biomass nurseries

25 Jan NO NO NO NO YES NO

STATUS OF SOIL RELATED MILESTONES AGREED BY CP

- Status as on 1st May 2013

Inputs and support from RRA Network/ Secretariat • In the overall guidance on strategy along with other nodes• Facilitation help

Inputs and support from Thematic Nodes • ResRA – Listed out areas of study; Worked out indicators; working

on internship/SRF for analysis work on soil health monitoring• ALC – Worked out on important formal and non-formal institutes

with their specific supports suitable for interventions we are working

Contribution of the TN to the RRA Network Building • Malkangiri district program• OD exercises of RRAN• Planning exercises with other Thematic Nodes• As support person to one CP (CIKS)• Promoting RRA with Agri Director, Odisha

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS

New things in the last year – • CP approach – TN advantage• Emphasis on bulky manure – process oriented rather than technology

Layer, scale and convergence – satisfactory as per the targets

Confidence on RRA FW on programmatic action• Need to facilitate formation of advisory committees for nodes is

required (mix of tech and social researchers)• At RRA-N, need for documenting strategies and suggestive blueprints

for each node / CP

Confidence on RRA FW on institutional approach• Need for intensive coordination between TNs and CPs; and within

CPs• Advocacy oriented engagement (rather than delivery-orientation)

required at CP level

Reflections on institutional arrangements – • Action in this regard is evolving in consultation with ALC

REFLECTIONS

Not yet initiated, but will be submitted around Mid-July

A. Contours of the new proposal• Majorly will be based on the learnings from the first year.

Emphasis to bring visibility to the work done in the first year – Workshops, publications, Videos, etc

• Intensification and expansion of interventions and coverage (HHs and GPs)

• Engagement with targeted components of MGNREGA• Emphasis on integration of calendar of activities with

MGREGA program cycle• Refining the interventions after taking feedback from each

location

• For eg., In Biomass based manure, targeting the cut in duration of composting period will reduce the need for moisture and other management activities (Can be achieved by shredding the material; using biological cultures, etc)

STATUS OF NEW PROPOSAL

B. Continuation• HR deployed + Hiring MGNREGA expertise

C. Modifications• Systematizing Soil Health Monitoring engagement

D. Dropping• From Soil Node, dropping of review and training

workshops for CPs. Integration with secretariat activities for the same.

E. Addition• Soil Expert committee management (Individuals and

Institutions like IISS and CRIDA)

STATUS OF NEW PROPOSAL