Food and nutritional security of projected population of 9.7 billion globally and 1.7 billion in India by 2050 is the major challenge of the 21st century. Alongside the challenge is to improve farmers' income and upgrade agriculture as a business to make it attractive to the youth and generate...

Unabated soil degradation due to low soil organic carbon (C) levels, multiple nutrient deficiencies including micro- and secondary nutrients, rising salinity and soil loss due to erosion jeopardizes food security of swiftly rising global population projected to be 9.7 billion by 2050. Soils also...

Soil health mapping in Sir Dorabji Tata Trust-supported initiative across 16 districts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, India showed widespread deficiencies of sulfur, boron, zinc and phosphorus. Soil test-based balanced nutrient management recorded yield benefit of 10-40%, while the integrated...

Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (RECL) supported an ICRISAT-led consortium to establish two watershed learning sites in Penukonda mandal (4 villages, 3150 ha of cultivated land and home to 8700 people) of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh and Wanaparthy mandal (4 villages, 3968 ha of...

This chapter focuses on soil fertility management issues and the need of soil nutrient mapping for informed decisions. The chapter establishes that for widespread adoption and use of soil testing for the diagnosis and management of plant nutrient deficiencies in the rainfed systems of the SAT...

This chapter highlights the processes and approaches of capacity development activities developed in a mission mode project implemented by the Government of Karnataka, India, from 2009 to boost productivity of rainfed agriculture in the state of Karnataka. Unique mechanisms have been developed to...

This chapter discusses the impact of the Bhoochetana programme using data collected from a large number of farmers' fields in Karnataka, India, during the 4-year period from 2009 to 2012. These data capture large variability in meteorological, biophysical, socioeconomic and agronomic factors in the ...

Soil health mapping was adopted as entry point activity in the initiative supported by Sir Ratan Tata Trust in Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh states of India which emphasized on developing soil test-based fertilizer recommendations at block level. In Jharkhand, yield benefit with balanced nutrition...