Book of Extended summaries ISDA

International Conference on Reimagining Rainfed Agro-ecosystems: Challenges &
Opportunities during 22-24, December 2022 at ICAR-CRIDA, Hyderabad
T2a-03O-1238
Climate Resilient Technologies for Sustainable Farm Incomes in Kurnool
District of Andhra Pradesh
G. Dhanalakshmi, M. Sudhakar Scientist, E. Ravi Goud and P. Vishnu Mohan Reddy
SHE &CS, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Yagantipalli. Kurnool dist. A.P-518124
The improved agricultural practices evolved for diverse agro-ecological regions in India have
potential to enhance climate change adaptation. Adaptation is the most prudent tool to face the
losses due to climate change. Resiliency is the ability of a system to absorb shocks and recover as
quickly as possible to normal conditions. NICRA is an ICAR initiative launched in 151 climate
vulnerable districts across the country. A number of climate resilient technologies were
demonstrated and capacity building of farmers was done in the project. The present study made
an attempt to investigate the perception of farmers on climate change, their adoption and their
economic returns through adoption of the technologies and use of Agro Advisory Services using
ex- post facto research design. Kurnool was selected purposively as the locale of the study.
Majority of the farmers are middle aged with high school education and are small farmers with
good mass media exposure and medium extension contact. Majority of the farmers have high
level of perception on climate change and its impact on agriculture in terms of increase in cost
of cultivation, low yields due to dry spells and incidence of pest and diseases. Majority of the
farmers are adopting climate resilient technologies. Eighty-four per cent of the farmers in
Kurnool district are adopting conservation furrows and 92 per cent are adopting drought tolerant
varieties and intercropping of red gram and setaria. Calf registration and establishment of fodder
banks are highly adopted by the farmers in livestock management.
Independent variables are highly correlated to perception and adoption of the climate resilient
technologies. The study also revealed that renovation of percolation tank helped in increasing the
cropping intensity. Intercropping of setaria and red gram gave additional net returns of Rs
15,620/ha. Drought tolerant jowar variety NJ2446, Bengal gram NBeG-3 and medium duration
red gram variety PRG-176 gave additional net returns over farmers’ practice. Calf mortality was
reduced by 66 per cent and use of urea molasses and silage feeding to animal proved beneficial.
Most of weather based agro advisory services given were pest and disease management followed
by crop production, horticulture and livestock. Majority of the farmers felt that the services were
utilized in selection of drought tolerant varieties and most of them strongly agreed that the
messages were received in right time for control of pest and diseases. Fifty-eight per cent strongly
agreed crop management advisories helped to increase their crop yields and fifty three percent
strongly agreed cost of supplementary irrigation was reduced followed by total cost of cultivation
of the crop and most of the farmers understood the message received. The study gave insight for
the policy makers to emulate NICRA modules across the country and to redesign the already
existing models with climate change perspective as it became a part of Indian farming.
246 | Page
Climate resilient agriculture for risk mitigation