NABARD Sustainable Development Project(SDP)

Sustainable Development Project(SDP) is planned and implememted in fivr completed watershed projects of Gandasi Cluster, Arasikere Taluk of Hassan District. Sustainable Development programs are designed to implement post watershed development activities like crop production, judicious water management and integrated framing system to improve farming income through adapting suitable technology and local resources.

Proposed Sustainable Development Project(SDP) project is planned to implement 23 villages of Gandasi cluster, Arasikere Taluk of Hassan District covering 2500 small and marginal families irrespective of caste and religion. The farming families are involved for collective production, marketing and implementation of SDP activities as per timeline through formation of farmer's interest groups(FIG) at village level and Farmer Producer Organization FPO at project level.

Project Objectives:

  • Create awareness among farming families about climate adaption techniques to improve farm production

  • Capacity building efforts to adopt local methods/resources/improved farming system to increase crop production

  • Enhancement of farm income through integrated and improved farming techniques.

  • IN-situ conservation and management of soil, water and biomass.

Training and Capacity Building

  • Farmers training and capacity building programs are scheduled frequently towards empowering farming community with scientific knowledge and participatory tools.

  • Training on crop water management, cultivation of maize and potato, integrated farming prouctivity enhancement techniques.

  • Family farming events, celebration of farmer's day. soil health day and documentation of success stories were also important components of the project.

Farmer's Exposure Visit


  • Experiential learning is key in trusting and adapting to new integrated farming techniques. This was periodically undertaken to ensure land productivity and farming income under the project.

  • Exposure visits to various progressive farmers’ fields were conducted in partnership with University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad and Bangalore to understand various crop production, integrated farming system, farm management and agriculture marketing strategies.

Crop Demonstration and Farm Production

  • Small and marginal farmers were identified for this activity to increase Ragi crop yield from 8-10 quintal to 15-16 quintal per acre by adopting transplanting method of cultivation. By convention farmers cultivate ragi by direct sowing of seeds and it requires 10-15 kg seeds, which leads to poor yield as high density cropping causes insufficient nutrient, low air and soil moisture and pest prone crops.

  • Transplanting method requires low seed quantity of 2-3 Kg. Ragi crop yield is increased upto 2-3 quintal per acre by transplanting method

  • Better soil aeration and nutrient availability is ensured through this method.

  • 100 farmers are supported for Ragi crop demonstration with INM and IPM practice.

Millet Crop Demonstration

  • Millets are re-gaining their position and importance in Indian food system as they adapt to climatic variance. Millet crops in the watershed area involving 200 families for cultivation of different varieties of minor millet cops like Navane, Same, Korale and Haraka has been demonstrated in one acre of land.

  • 500 farmers were supported for millet cultivation in 1 acre of land, millet seeds, fertilizer for one time application, inter crop seeds provided under the project. Now farmers are started growing and consuming millets in the project area, millet crop yield is very good as 8-10 quintal per acre, when compared to normal yield which is 6-8 quintal per acre.

Pulses Crops and Liquid Manure

  • Pulses crops like Red Gram, Green Gram, Black Gram, and Horse Gram cultivation in one acre land was taken up with integrated pest and disease management measures for improved production.

  • 35 families were supported with seeds and fertilizers as inputs for INM and IPM practices.

  • Liquid Manure production units proposed for preparation and application of liquid manure by using cow dung, urine and local plant material.

  • This bio-manure or bio-pesticides can be used on food crops and horticulture crops to ensure better growth, disease free and healthy food.

  • 150 farmers have taken up liquid manure production units with 1000 litre capacity by using available biomass, livestock urine and dung to prepare liquid manure for regular application to improve the production.

Green Fodder Culivation and Sheep Rearing

  • Green fodder crop cultivation is proposed with rearing two sheep in the farm. An amount of rs. 8000 per family is proposed under the project to each family to purchase the sheep, fodder seeds, initial feed and insurance coverage charges.

  • 25 families are supported under this activity and each beneficiary is involved in sheep rearing activity which has provided incremental income to the family.

Improved Crop Cultivation

  • 100 Farmers has been provided improved Ragi seeds(KMR-301) for cultivation in one acre land along with inter crop like Niger and field bean for demonstration of improved crop cultivation.

  • 100 Farmers have taken up lemon cultivation, 25 lemon seedlings per farmer were provided to be cultivated in 0.5 acre land. An amount of Rs 4000/- per family is spent for cultivation of 25 lemon plants in 0.5 acre land as intercrop in plantation crops like coconut and mango and it has helped to ensure income for farmers proving that farmers can cultivate lemon as intercrop along with coconut.

Bio-Mass/Green Mulching

  • 30% of rain fed coconut garden in this watershed area contributed to majority of the farming income from this crop. Frequent draughts and uneven rainfall has hampered coconut yield.

  • Biomass/Green Mulching activity was proposed to cover the soil with either dry biomass or green manure crop to avoid evaporation of soil moisture and also increase organic carbon in the soil.

  •  Biomass application helped to improve the coconut production over a period of time and continuous practice of this method goes a long way in improving income from coconut garden.

Support of silt application and Ragi crop Cultivation

  • Silt Production and improved Ragi Crop cultivation (KNR-301) has been taken in one acre land

  • 180 farmers were benefitted with an yield of 10 quintal per acre.

Project Outcomes

Feedback from Beneficiaries