Soil and water conservation measures for sustainable coconut production: Impact of interventions under Farmers Participatory Action Research Programme

Abstract

A study was conducted to analyse the experiences and impact of technological interventions related to soil and water conservation implemented in 105 coconut farmers’ gardens in Kasaragod District of Kerala state during 2009 to 2011 under Farmers Participatory Action Research Programme (FPARP). Participatory assessment of soil and water conservation technologies was done using matrix scoring technique. Impact assessment showed that soil conserved in the coconut basin having half-moon bund around it varied greatly in different farms. Soil collected varied from 0.038 m3 to 0.091 m3 and water conserved varied from 1.2 m3 to 9.6 m3. Soil conserved in a trench varied from 0.35 m3 to 0.082 m3 and water conserved varied from 1.8 m3 to 8.3 m3. The average pre-intervention yield was 54 nuts per palm per year. The post intervention yield was increased to 64 nuts per palm thereby indicating an average yield increase by 19 per cent. Based on the matrix scoring, mulching coconut basins was ranked first compared to other soil and water conservation technologies. Simple and comparatively low cost soil and water conservation technologies could be replicated in a substantial number of farm holdings through the farmer participatory watershed-based decentralized development schemes of local self governments with the support of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme under MGNREGA thus indicating the replicability and horizontal spread of technologies demonstrated under the FPARP project. Analysis of impact of technological interventions under FPARP in farmers’ field revealed the efficacy of soil and water conservation technologies for water saving/water use efficiency and yield enhancement in coconut besides enhancement in knowledge about soil and water conservation measures.