Kerala Agricultural Technology
Project
To Raise Productivity, Quality & Farmer Income
on Cash and Field Crops by Improved Land
Preparation, Soil Nutrition & Water Management
1
Objectives



To commercially demonstrate higher crop yields,
quality and farm incomes on field, cash and orchard
crops by application of advanced methods of land
preparation, soil nutrition, mechanisation and water
management.
To train lead farmers in Palakad District on these
advanced methods.
To strengthen the extension advisory system by
establishing village based farm schools supported by
a field force of ag consultants to demonstrate &
widely disseminate these methods throughout the
district.
2
Low Indian Crop Productivity (kg/ha)
Crop
USA
India
USA/India
Rice
6622
2928
2.3
Maize
8397
1666
5.0
Wheat
4400
2583
1.7
Groundnut
3038
912
3.3
Soy beans
2452
1007
2.4
40,238
17,307
2.3
928
333
2.8
59,295
15,138
3.9
Potato
Lint Cotton
Tomato
3
Low Productivity of Indian Agriculture



India ranks in the bottom quartile countries on
productivity of most major crops, despite having the
largest area under irrigation and a huge reservior of
scientific manpower.
Huge waste of water resources damaging crop
productivity, increasing soil salinity and aggravating
water shortages. 95% of India’s water use is for
irrigation.
Kerala ranks low among Indian states on
productivity of most major crops.
4
Factors Determining Crop Productivity






Soil preparation
Planting methods & tools
Plant nutrition
Water management
Pest management
Time & schedule management
5
AT is the Answer


Advanced agricultural technology (AT)
adapted appropriately to local conditions can
raise Kerala’s productivity on most major
crops by 100 to 200% or more and double or
triple water use efficiency.
California Agricultural Consulting Services
(CACS) has already commercially
demonstrated this potential on a wide range
of crops in India.
6
Brinjal in TN
CACS has achieved 17 tons/acre of brinjal in TN compared with
TN average of 8 tons. Potential is for 30 tons generating more
7
than Rs 1 lakh/acre profi
Red Cabbage in TN
CACS has achieved 20 tons/acre of cabbage in TN compared
with TN average of 12 tons. Potential is for 30 tons generating
more than Rs 1 lakh/acre profi
8
Badji Pepper in TN
CACS has achieved 14 tons/acre in Tamil Nadu
compared with local average of 6 tons. Potential is 20
tons generating more than 1.5 lakhs profit/acre.
9
Okra in TN
CACS technology has produced 6 tons/acre of Okra in TN
compared with state average of 2 tons. Potential is for 10 tons
yielding income of Rs 50,000 to 1 lakh/acre.
10
Sugarbeet gives 50% more sugar than cane in ½
the time with only 2/3rd the water
CACS farmers in CA achieve the highest yields of sugarbeet.
Sugarbeet can produce 35-40 tons/acre in TN in 6 months with 15%
sugar recover compared to TN average of about 40 tons cane in 12
months with only 10% recovery. Also sugar beet consumes 30 to 40%
11
less water than sugarcane.
CACS Crop Yields in India vs Local Average
Local
Average
CACS achieved in
India
Growth
Achieved
CACS Potential in
India
Baji Pepper
6
14
133%
20
Beans (Lima)
-
1.75
3.5
Beans (Black eye)
-
1
2
Brinjal
7-8
15-17
114%
25-30
Cabbage (Red)
12
20
67%
30
Capsicum
8
16
100%
35
Cotton Lint (lb./A)
310
890
187%
2200
Maize
1.2
2.8
133%
7.8
Okra
2
6
200%
10
Rice
1.2
4
233%
6
Sugarcane
40
59
50%
80
Tomatoes
12
38
217%
55
Black Pepper (kg//vine)
.5
1.23
140%
1.5-2.0
Crop (tons/acre)
12
Normal Land Preparation in India

Ploughing soil only 6 to 8” deep and flat beds results in

Dense packing of earth

Prevent rainwater storage in the soil

Flooding of roots during irrigation & heavy rains which stops plant
growth

Loss of fertile top soil through surface run-off of rainwater

Prevent crop roots from penetrating into soil profile for water and
nutrient uptake

Leads to stunted plant growth

Lower yields
13
Soil Penetration 6-8” in India
14
Normal Indian Soil
Rainwater cannot penetrate deeper or
drain, so it floods roots & evaporates
rapidly. The flooding prevents plant
roots from breathing, which is
essential for absorption of nutrients.
6”
Crop
Hard Pan
Roots cannot penetrate so
plant growth is stunted.
Plants are small, weak,
needs frequent irrigation &
gives low yield.
15
CACS Method of Land Preparation

Deep Soil Chiseling & Furrow Beds

Enable soil to capture & store more rainwater

Retain rainwater to recharge groundwater

Prevent loss of fertile topsoil through excess run-off

Enable root systems to grow deep for nutrient &
water uptake

Reduce need for irrigation to as low as 20%.

Increase crop productivity
16
30-36” Soil Penetration in California
17
Deep Soil Chiseling
Roots penetrate deep to reach
perennial water supply &
nutrients. Plant grows large,
strong & highly productive.
36”
Crop
Soft Pan
Rainwater stored deep down where
it will not easily evaporate & is
available to plants for weeks
18
Deep Chiseling in USA
19
Deep Chiseling Adapted in India
20
Normal Flat-bed Land Preparation in India
21
Tomato with furrows in TN
Tomato raised in Tamil Nadu with CACS methods
consumes only one-third the water & has achieved
217% higher yield (38 tons vs. 12 tons/acre). Potential
with CACS technology is 55 tons.
22
Flood Irrigation in India
Flood irrigation methods practiced in India waste large
amounts of water and drown crops resulting in low
water use efficiency & low yields.
23
Furrow Irrigation in California

Furrow irrigation on chiseled fields reduces water consumption
by upto 70% while increasing crop yields.
24
CACS Furrow Irrigation in TN
25
Balanced Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition

Plants require more than 12 essential nutrients to generate healthy
and productive growth.

Without these 12 nutrients, genetic potential of hybrid seeds cannot
be tapped. (The same hybrid rice seed generates 2.8 tons per
hectare in India, 5.4 tons in China & 8 tons in USA.)

In India, soil is being tested for only three nutrients.

Even when tests are done for other nutrients, customised
recommendations are not available for each crop.

Methods employed in India for application of fertilizers lead to low
absorption, low fertilizer use efficiency, high wastage and high cost.

Advanced methods can triple productivity of the same hybrid seed.
26
S
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Bo
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Soil Fertility (USA) – before treatment
100%
Optimum Level Required by Plants
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
27
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Soil Fertility (USA) – balanced after treatment
100%
Optimum Level Required by Plants
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
28
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Bo
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Soil Fertility (India) – before treatment
100%
Optimum Level Required by Plants
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
29
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Soil Fertility (India) – unbalanced after treatment
Optimum Level Required by Plants
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
30
Critical Needs

Improve crop productivity

Improve fertilizer use efficiency

Improve water use efficiency

Reduce soil salinity

Reduce unit cost of agricultural produce
31
What CACS Technology can do

Improve land use efficiency


Improve fertilizer use efficiency


Increasing productivity per unit area can reduce the cost per unit of
agricultural produce to enhance farm incomes and promote
international competitiveness.
Balancing plant nutrients in the soil optimizes plant intake of applied
fertilisers, safeguarding the environment and reducing soil
degradation.
Improve water use efficiency

Enhancing the country’s drinking water security through land
preparation techniques that harvest rainwater on millions of acre
while reducing waste of irrigated water, improving water use
efficiency by over 300%, and reducing the pace of salinization of
irrigated lands.
32
Kerala Agriculture Technology
Project (KAT)
33
Project Goals

Transfer and disseminate advanced AT (Agriculture
Technology) to double the yield and profitability of
paddy and other major commercial crops, while
reducing the unit cost of agriculture produce.

Teach farmers how to double or triple net income
per acre by higher productivity and quality of crops.
34
Project Strategy







Operate project as an autonomous contractor to the Government.
Commercial demonstration of productivity & profitability of all
technologies on wide range of crops.
Classroom & field training for farm school instructors by CACS.
Farm school instructors to apply technology commercially on their
own fields & earn fees for training other farmers.
Training subsidy of Rs 1000 per farmer trained.
Private consulting team backed by expert system & multimedia
software to provide support services.
Lab & equipment services to be charged to users.
35
Project Targets

Train more than 25,000 farmers on CACS methods
for high profit commercial crop production.

Establish 500 village-based Farm Schools.

Establish permanent infrastructure for on-going
technical support to lead farmers.

Produce training materials and expert system to
support widespread adoption of CACS technology.
36
Project Components

Model Farm cum Training Centre to demonstrate high yield, high profit
production methods with farm equipment hire centres

Agricultural Precision Diagnostic Centre (APDC) – world class soil lab

Agri-equipment centre with latest equipment for improved land preparation.

Training of Farmer-Instructors to set up village-based Farm Schools

Training and management of a field force of agricultural consultants to
support the Farm Schools

Cyber extension system -- computer software for crop selection & production

Computerized farmer training programme

Links with agro-industries

AT information website
37
High Potential Crops












Paddy
Banana
Pineapple & other fruits
Vegetables & vegetable seeds -- tomato
Tapioca
Black pepper, other herbs & spices
Sugarcane & sugar beet
Maize
Coconut
Bamboo and other tree crops
Orchard -- mango, papaya, custard apple, pomegranate,
sapotta
Floriculture – jasmine, anthurium, marigold, chrysanthemum 38
Farm Schools (FS)







5 acre model farms in the village on owned or leased lands to
demonstrate CACS methods run by self-employed farmer-cumAg-consultants trained by KAT
Each FS to train 30 lead farmers per year in CACS methods
On-going technical support from KAT to FSs
Each FS has access to computer centre for farmer education &
technical advice
Income from training of lead farmers (Rs. 30,000 to 60,000 per
year) for each FS instructor
FS instructor is certified by KAT
FS instructor is technical representative of KAT in the village
39
Agricultural Consultants


Agricultural graduates trained in CACS
production technologies will provide field
support to the Farm Schools – one consultant
per 10 FSs.
Consultants will work on contract basis and
be fully accountable for delivery quality
information to the FS and referring problems
back to the Project Team.
40
Training Curriculum for FS Instructors







Crop economics
Crop selection methods
Land preparation
Planting methods & tools
Deep chiseling & rainwater
harvesting techniques to
optimize water utilisation
Soil & tissue analyses & plant
nutrition techniques
Fertilizer placement, timing &
methods to improve efficiency








Pest management practices
Irrigation scheduling &
methods
Crop maintenance practices
Harvesting methods
Post-harvest handling
Agro-industry & agribusiness opportunities
Marketing
Teaching and communication
skills
41
Training Methodology



Classroom lectures
Practical demonstration on model farms
Practical field work and hands on experience
applying all concepts on model farm test plots
42
Computerized Farm Advisory
Software (FAS)



Recommend best cropping pattern options based
on soil analysis, cost of inputs & prevailing market
prices, including cost-benefit for each crop
Recommend package of practices for specific
crops based on field conditions & soil test results
Generate detailed crop production instructions for
the specific crop and field conditions
43
Computerized Educational Software






Malayalam language
25 to 50 hours of CD-Rom based courseware covering
all aspects of CACS technology
For use at training centres, farm schools, secondary
schools and vocational training centres
Multimedia: With photographs, video images, text &
voice presentations
Interactive: User selects topics and proceeds at own
pace
Feedback: Self-tests provide instant feedback to users
44
Farmers Trained
Year
1
2
3
4
Farm School
Instructors
Trained
50
100
150
200
500
Agricultural
Consultants
10
10
15
15
50
1500
3000
9000
15000
28500
1610
3165
9215
15000
29000
Lead Farmers
Trained
Total
60
5
Total
45
Estimated Four Year Budget (lakhs)
Capital
Investment
Operating Costs
Training fees & food
Total
Crop working capital
(additional)
Total
Less net crop
income
Net funds required
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Total
295
45
45
45
430
70
77
104
129
380
3
21
38
101
163
368
143
187
275
972
10
15
25
25
75
378
158
212
300
1047
9
18
40
45
111
369
140
172
255
936
46
Capital Investment








World-class soil & tissue analysis laboratory
Heavy duty imported tractor and shanks for deep soil
chiseling.
Smaller tractor and other farm implements.
2 SUVs and 2 motorcycles
Computers, printers, scanner, digital cameras, LCD
projector, furniture & equipment
Expert system software for Farm Advisory Service
Multimedia training CD Roms
CACS Consulting fees
47
Financial Requirements

1st Year – Rs 366 lakhs (includes Rs 233
lakhs assets)

2nd Year – Rs 100 lakhs

3rd Year – Rs 172 lakhs

4th Year – Rs 255 lakhs
48