M.N. Ramesha, S.L. Patil, K.N. Ravi, B.S. Naik, Ravi Dupdal and A.S. Morade
Abstract
Forestry and horticulture interventions are prominent components in the watershed projects. In several cases, the activities related establishment of plantation are hindered by various factors. In this study four land resource inventory based Sujala-III watersheds implemented in the state of Karnataka were evaluated and perceptions of the farmers were collected with respect to the horticulture and forestry interventions. Water scarcity was the main farmersââ¬â¢ perceived hinderance towards establishment of horticultural and forestry orchards. The less rainfall or drought situation prevailed during the project implementation is also a dominant perception that farmers blamed in watersheds. Soil related problem, poor quality planting material, wrong time or season of planting, wild animalsââ¬â¢ depredation and careless-planting approach perception evinces shortcomings in the interventions. This highlights the requirement of specialist staff, educational programmes and traineeships to the field functionaries with respect to the horticultural skills. Further, to avoid failures, motivation of farmers through trainings, consultations and assessment of their potential for taking up horticulture and forestry interventions is essential for greater success. Indeed, the project implementation agencies find a very narrow window of time frame for implementing horticulture and forestry interventions and which were interspersed with less rainfall, uneven rainfall and droughts situations, that leads to interventionââ¬â¢s failure. Therefore, the watershedââ¬â¢s plantation activity decisions must take a leaf out of robust climate-model predictions for supporting and to achieve success for the interventions that are going to be implemented in the watersheds.