Soil Test Based Micro-Nutrient Application and Its Profitability in Pulse Production: A Micro-Evaluation Study of Bhoochetana Scheme

‘Bhoochethana’ (Bhoo= soil; Chethana =rejuvenation) scheme was launched by the Government of Karnataka in the year 2009 in technical collaboration with ICRISAT to enhance the yield level of major dry land crops by adopting integrated crop management (ICM) practices. The primary strategy of Bhoochetana is soil test based nutrient management with a major thrust on micronutrients and bio-fertilizers. In this study, the cost and returns, resource use efficiency and functional analysis of redgram production among the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of Bhoochetana scheme have been reported. The study has been conducted in the Kalaburagi District of Karnataka State which is an economically backward region with large part of the area is under dry land and redgram is the predominant crop. The study found that cost of cultivation of redgram among beneficiaries was marginally higher than non- beneficiaries. But, beneficiaries harvested additional redgram and their returns were also higher. The ratio of MVP to MFC (Resource use efficiency) was also higher among the beneficiaries compared to non-beneficiaries. A significant positive co-efficient of dummy variable indicate that the Bhoochetana beneficiaries realised higher redgram production by 0.38 quintals per farm. Hence, the schemes like Bhoochetana are highly beneficial for the dry-land farmers when they are implemented and monitored efficiently.