The Bhoochetana Project in Karnataka, India aims to improve soil health, water management, and introduce soil and water conservation techniques. It also promotes integrated soil and nutrient management, crop diversification, optimal sowing times, and integrated pest management. The project has benefited over 4.75 million farmers over 5 years, improved management practices on 7.4 million hectares of rainfed land, increased crop yields by 3-14 times, and increased agricultural growth over 5% since 2009.

1. Large-Scale Adoption
Bhoochetana Project
INTERVENTIONS
Sep 2016
• Soil Health Mapping
• Water management
• Soil and Water Conservation Techniques
• Integrated Soil and Nutrient Management
• Daily rainfall monitoring, seasonal
rainfall situation
Distribution of agricultural inputs
such as fertilizers, chemicals, good
quality seeds and machinery made
available at 50% subsidy at cluster
village level to maximize incomes.
High-yielding, short-
duration and major crop
varieties are selected from
popular choices of farmers.
Identifying major crops based
on performance and scheduling
optimal sowing time to enhance
crop productivity.
Intercropping and planting
different crops protect farmers
against climate variability, crop
loss and diseases.
Education about and
use of proper levels of
pesticides to decrease
risks to health and the
environment.
Promotion of machinery,
including ICRISAT
designed Tropicultor,
provide more efficiency
and consistency of
farming methods.
Inputs Management &
improved seed systems
Farmers’ Preferred
Improved Varieties
1
2
3
45
6
7
Soil and water
management
Identify optimal sowing timeCrop diversification
Integrated Pest
Management
Mechanical
interventions
Impacts
4.75million 7.4 million ha
farmers have
benefited over
5 years
Rainfed area
covered by improved
management practices
3-14:1 20-66%
increase in
crop yield
Benefit-cost
ratio
US$ 353 million
Net benefit accrued
in 5 years
>5% rise
in agriculture
growth since 2009
Approach
Consortium
led PPP – ICRISAT
as a catalyst
Convergence
of projects
Resilient Agriculture
Investigators
Network (RAIN)
ICT knowledge
sharing
10,000 Farmer
Facilitators
Other knowledge
sharing
Capacity building
Combining several
agriculture development
programs to work together
A team of
investigators to
identify common
priorities for
developing resilient
agriculture systems
Trained as extension workers
• Wall writing for wide sharing
of agricultural information
and proper practices
• Farmers’ field school
• Farmers’ days
1
5
4
7
2
6
3
• Tablet-based extension system (Krishi
Gyan Sagar) for each farmer facilitator to
disseminate customized information
• Voice Message Service (Krishi Vani) known
as the green sim, short messages sent to
farmers about best farming practices
• Farmer-to-farmer videos
• WhatsApp groups