Projects

The project focused on the dissemination of scientific and technology-based solutions for rural sustainability. The programme aimed to advance participatory technologies, conserve soil and increase its productivity by helping small and marginal farming communities.

The key activities undertaken for developing and applying innovations and techniques were:

• Technological Innovations at Farm Level.
• Technological Development at Ecosystem Level.
• Development of Community Institutions and Business Models.
• Development of post-harvest technology.

• Resilient farming techniques helped reduce 38 percent cost of chemical inputs from the market while 14.8 acres of land was protected from soil erosion through improved bunding and use of locally produced biomass compost.
• Nursery within polyhouse helped increase plant survival by 95 percent.
• The extension and dissemination services through 23 self-managing community institutions like Agro Services Centre (ASC), Farmer Field School (FFS) and Self-Help Group (SHG) have played critical role in scaling up the technologies.
• All 9 ASCs were linked with a local agriculture business called Surbhi Beej Company Pvt. Ltd. and received subsidies worth Rs. 12 lakhs for farm machinery.
• The multi-layered farming system with appropriate crop combinations reduced various input costs (hoeing, weeding, irrigation etc.) by 30-35 percent.
• With the use of weeding and hoeing equipment, farmers experienced a reduction in their workload by ten times as compared to the traditional system.

The successes of the farmers have been recognized at different platforms and they were awarded for their efforts in innovation and technology promotion.