Soil Fertility, Crop Productivity, Cropping Intensity and Livelihood Enhancement in Titabar, Assam, India: A Participatory Approach through Farmer FIRST Programme

The performance of pea as relay crop into the prevailing rice-fallow system in Titabar development block of Jorhat district in Assam was demonstrated and evaluated in a participatory approach through the Farmer FIRST (Farm Innovations, Resources, Science and Technology) Programme during 2017-18 to 2021-22. The production and productivity of rice increased both in participatory and indirect beneficiary farms and ranged from 4000 to 4800 kg/ha with a mean yield of 4420 kg/ha in direct beneficiary farms during the five years. The increase was mainly due to use of good quality seed at optimum planting time and adoption of balanced fertilizer doses for rice cultivation. The yield of pea as a relay crop varied from 625 to 938 kg/ha with a mean yield of 744 kg/ha over the 5 years period. The available nutrient contents of soil increased in rice-relay compared to rice-fallow crop, but the organic carbon content was not affected during the period. The cropping intensity increased from 101% in 2016-17 to 112% in 2021-22 in participatory farms and 109% in 2021-22 in non-participatory farms. The farm income increased for both participatory and indirect beneficiary farms with an increase in per unit net return for rice sole crop and rice-pea relay cropping.