Engineering Interventions for Increasing Farm Income and Natural Resources Conservations in Upper Krishna Command Area in North Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka

Engineering interventions helps to maximizing agricultural productivity and profitability with a minimum drudgery to farm workers, especially women. In the present study, nine interventions were demonstrated at Yadgir district by ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra from 2019 to 2024. The direct seeded rice (DSR), drum seeder (DS) and laser levelling (LL) has achieved the water productivity (kg/ha/mm) of 5.90, 4.50 and 4.66 compared to 4.28, 3.39 and 4.66 by saving irrigation water (%) of 22, 15 and 23.17 as compared to transplanting paddy. Use of nipping machine in pigeonpea and chickpea increased yield up to 10.25 (%) and 8.29 (%) compared to farmers practices. Cotton shredder saved 80 (%) and 55.45 (%) of labour and management cost in cotton crop. Compartment bunder in greengram helps to achieve water productivity (kg/ha/mm) and yield (q/ha) of 10.06 and 19.80 compared to 7.5 and 14.75 in farmers practices. Raised bed with plastic mulch in watermelon increased water productivity (kg/ha/mm) and yield (q/ha) of 144.45 and 650 compared to 64.44 and 388 in farmers practices by saving 33.33 (%) of irrigation water. Adaptation of engineering interventions helps to increase water productivity and crop yield by saving irrigation water, time and labour cost.