Farmer FIRST Village Embraces Soil Health and Climate-Smart Farming under Khet Bachao Abhiyan in Bihar

18 June 2026, Motihari, Bihar

As part of the nationwide Khet Bachao Abhiyan–2026, ICAR–Mahatma Gandhi Integrated Farming Research Institute, Motihari organized a farmer awareness and capacity-building programme at Ujhilpur village, Tetaria Block, East Champaran district, Bihar. The village is one of the adopted villages under the ICAR Farmer FIRST Programme, where scientists are working closely with farmers to promote sustainable, climate-resilient, and resource-efficient farming systems.

The programme combined soil health awareness with Farmer FIRST interventions to strengthen scientific crop and nutrient management practices at the village level. Scientists interacted with farmers on practical approaches for improving soil fertility, reducing production costs, and enhancing long-term farm sustainability.

The programme emphasized the balanced use of chemical fertilizers and biofertilizers in major crops such as rice, maize, and wheat. Farmers were encouraged to promote green manuring through Dhaincha (Sesbania), include green gram and Azolla as biological sources of nitrogen, adopt soil-test-based fertilizer recommendations, practice crop residue management and conservation agriculture, and integrate pulses and legumes into existing cropping systems.

It was highlighted that incorporating at least one pulse crop in the annual crop cycle can significantly improve soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation while enhancing farm profitability and nutritional security. Farmers were also encouraged to adopt vermicomposting as an eco-friendly source of nutrients for field crops, vegetables, and horticultural crops.

During the interactive session, farmers expressed keen interest in adopting balanced nutrient management practices. Several participants shared their experiences of cultivating summer green gram and acknowledged its role in reducing nitrogen fertilizer requirements for the succeeding rice crop. Considerable interest was also shown in cultivating Dhaincha for green manuring; however, the timely availability of quality seed was identified as a key requirement for large-scale adoption.

The importance of soil testing before fertilizer application was emphasized, and farmers were advised to follow recommended nutrient doses rather than relying on indiscriminate fertilizer use. Participants were informed that balanced fertilization not only improves crop productivity but also protects soil health, reduces input costs, and enhances nutrient-use efficiency.

The programme reinforced the objectives of both the Farmer FIRST Programme and the Khet Bachao Abhiyan, which seek to place farmers at the center of agricultural innovation while promoting healthy soils, sustainable resource management, and climate-resilient farming systems.

A total of 39 farmers actively participated in the programme and interacted with scientists on strategies for improving soil health and farm productivity through scientific and sustainable agricultural practices.

(Source: ICAR–Mahatma Gandhi Integrated Farming Research Institute, Motihari, Bihar)