IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF CROP DIVERSIFICATION THROUGH AGRI-HORTI-BASED INTERVENTIONS IN TRIBAL AREAS OF CHHATTISGARH UNDER THE FARMERS FIRST PROJECT

Abstract

The present study was conducted under the Farmers FIRST Project in four tribal villages Maldongri, Khursipar, Bharritola and Chikhali of Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki  district in the southwestern part of Chhattisgarh, was carried out during 2025-26 to evaluate the impact of crop diversification through agri-horti-based interventions under upland farming conditions. The selected villages are predominantly rainfed, characterized by low cropping intensity (114%), mono cropping of rice, low adoption of improved technologies and limited livelihood opportunities. A participatory approach involving farmers and scientists was adopted to introduce integrated crop production, horticulture and resource management technologies. Major interventions included line sowing of rice with improved weed management, diversification of upland rice into maize, pulses and vegetables, utilization of field bunds for pigeon pea and fruit crops, low-cost gravity drip irrigation for vegetable cultivation in wadi systems, and fruit plantation on field bunds. The interventions significantly enhanced crop productivity, farm profitability and livelihood opportunities. Line sowing of rice increased grain yield to 32.15 q ha⁻¹ compared with 29.55 q ha⁻¹ under transplanting and 20.96 q ha⁻¹ under broadcasting, while generating the highest net income (72,535 Rs/ha) with a Benefit ratio of 1:3.6. Crop diversification under upland conditions improved yields of maize (42.38 q ha⁻¹), green gram (9.84 q ha⁻¹), black gram (8.54 q ha⁻¹), brinjal (198.78 q ha⁻¹) and cowpea (84.62 q ha⁻¹), resulting in higher net returns and improved economic efficiency. Utilization of field bunds through pigeon pea and papaya increased yields by 32.8% and 66.9%, respectively, with corresponding improvements in profitability. Similarly, low-cost gravity drip irrigation enhanced vegetable yields by 14–25%, increased net income and improved Benefit ratios across all vegetable crops. Fruit plantation on field bunds, particularly papaya, further improved productivity (43.2%), income (54.1%) and land-use efficiency. The study demonstrated that agri-horti based crop diversification effectively transformed traditional rice-based upland farming into a more productive, diversified and climate-resilient production system. The integrated interventions improved cropping intensity, resource-use efficiency, nutritional security and year-round employment while strengthening farmer–scientist interaction and technology adoption. The findings indicate that participatory agri-horti models have considerable potential for enhancing income, livelihood security and sustainable agricultural development in tribal rainfed regions of Chhattisgarh and similar agro-ecological situations.