Constraints and strategies of smallholder farmers for successful protected cultivation of capsicum: A critical appraisal

The study was framed to assess the challenges/constraints in protected cultivation of capsicum by small holder farmers in Karnataka state, India and provide strategies for sustained profitability. Ex-post-facto research design was followed for conducting study in three districts (Bangalore Rural, Bangalore Urban and Chickballapur) of Karnataka. From each district, 50 smallholders capsicum cultivation farmers under protected cultivation were selected through purposive random sampling, constituting 150 respondents. Garrett’s ranking technique was adopted to analyse the constraints faced by the farmers in the study area. The various constraints experienced by the farmers were broadly grouped in to production constraints, market constraints, financial constraints, technological constraints, institutional constraints, weather-based constraints, health and labour constraints. These finding demonstrated urgent need to intervene towards the constraints experienced by the smallholder capsicum grows under protected cultivation, which not only ensures to get stable income but also sustain their livelihoods

Fodder Scenario and Hortipastoral Opportunities to Enhance Fodder Production in India

Food grain production and livestock production are closely related in India as crop-residue forms the major source of fodder for livestock. It’s thus assumed that increase in food grain production has positive effect on availability of dry matter to the livestock. Using land use classification, crop production (2015 to 2020) and livestock census (2019) data, dry matter (DM) availability for livestock for 28 states of India was estimated. Hortipastoral opportunities by estimating area available under orchards in southern India were done to assess the possibility of introducing fodder crops in orchards. Some of the fodder crops were introduced in orchards of livestock farmers to know how fodder crops address the issue of fodder availability at household level. The lowest DM available state was Assam (52.80 % availability) and highest available state was Haryana (110.80 %). Eight states have surplus DM (+110.80% to +2.3%). Twelve states experience DM deficiency (-2.96 to -47.20%). Inter spaces in orchards, a niche to cultivate fodder crops to reduce such fodder shortage, estimated to produce 67.13 MT of green fodder sufficing yearly requirement of 13.57 million Adult Cattle Units. Adult Cattle Unit is a reference unit which facilitates the aggregation of livestock from various species and age using specific coefficients derived based on the nutritional and feed requirement of each type of animal. Perennial fodder crops were introduced to 450 Mango and Coconut farmers (from 2016-2021) that reduced fodder shortage (50.6±4.39 to 9±1.64%)

Association of biotic factors with indigenous knowledge of farmers on rainfall predictions

Farmers use different factors (biotic and abiotic) around them to predict rainfall. Several Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) practices followed by farmers in different parts of the country are documented and published. ITKs collected from flood and drought prone areas of south India along with documented ITKs were analysed to know the biotic indicators used by farmers to predict rainfall. These biotic factors were classified as insects, birds and animals. Farmers use 19 types of insects, 17 types of birds and 10 types of animals as indicators to predict rainfall. Various behaviour types of these biotic factors are observed by farmers based on which they make decisions about possibility of rain occurring and in some cases the intensity of rain. These are grassroots innovations which are time tested and facilitated farmers to make their farming decisions

Association of biotic factors with indigenous knowledge of farmers on rainfall predictions

883-889Farmers use different factors (biotic and abiotic) around them to predict rainfall. Several Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) practices followed by farmers in different parts of the country are documented and published. ITKs collected from flood and drought prone areas of south India along with documented ITKs were analysed to know the biotic indicators used by farmers to predict rainfall. These biotic factors were classified as insects, birds and animals. Farmers use 19 types of insects, 17 types of birds and 10 types of animals as indicators to predict rainfall. Various behaviour types of these biotic factors are observed by farmers based on which they make decisions about possibility of rain occurring and in some cases the intensity of rain. These are grassroots innovations which are time tested and facilitated farmers to make their farming decisions